Leukocyte and Platelet Changes in Malaria Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Walter RJ Taylor, Hendra Widjaja, Hasan Basri, Colin Ohrt, Taufik, Emiliana Tjitra, Samuel Baso, David Fryauff, Stephen L Hoffman, Thomas L Richie
Primary Institution: The US Navy Medical Research Unit no. 2, Jakarta, Indonesia
Hypothesis
Does the difference in malaria exposure between Papuan and non-Papuan adults affect their leukocyte and platelet counts during malaria infection?
Conclusion
The study found that Papuans had lower initial white cell counts compared to non-Papuans, likely due to their lifelong exposure to malaria.
Supporting Evidence
- Leukopaenia was present in 9.2% of patients at Day 0.
- By Day 28, the mean white cell count increased significantly.
- Thrombocytopaenia affected 78.8% of patients at Day 0.
Takeaway
This study looked at how malaria affects blood cells in people from Papua and other parts of Indonesia, finding that those from Papua had different blood cell counts because they are used to malaria.
Methodology
A clinical trial comparing chloroquine and doxycycline treatments for malaria, measuring blood cell counts at multiple time points.
Potential Biases
The study was predominantly male, limiting the applicability of findings to females.
Limitations
The sample size was small, and many patients failed treatment before Day 28, which may have introduced bias.
Participant Demographics
162 malaria infected patients, 57 indigenous Papuans and 105 non Papuans, mostly males aged 15 to 44.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0018
Confidence Interval
95% CI -0.42 to -1.79 × 10^9/L
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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