Use of Some Surrogate Markers of Inflammation as Predictor of Malaria Severity

Objectives: The role of some basic immune-inflammatory markers in malaria is yet to be investigated in our locality. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between some predictive immune-inflammatory markers and malaria among malaria-infected persons in Benin City, Nigeria. Methods: EDTA blood specimens were collected from 400 malaria patients attending outpatient clinics and in the wards of major hospitals in Benin City. The blood samples were used for malaria parasite density determination and complete blood count analysis of some basic inflammatory markers such as Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Monocyte/Neutrophil Ratio (MNR), Platelet/Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR), Monocyte/Lymphocyte Ratio (MLR) and Systemic Immune- inflammatory Index (SII) were calculated from the obtained parameter of the Full Blood Count and the data analyzed. Results: Levels of parasitemia amongst malaria patients were not significantly affected by all the demographic characteristics profiled in this study. Eosinophils percentage count was significantly higher in individuals with high parasitemia (p=0.0121). Of all the Socio-demographic factors analyzed in this study, only living arrangements affected the MPV of malaria patients, showing that MPV was significantly higher in patients living in one room (p=0.0407). Immune inflammatory markers correlated significantly and positively with malaria MLR (r=0.322, p<0.0001), MNR (r=0.241, p<0.0001), NLR (r=0.122, p=0.015), SII (r=0.115, p=0.022) and PLR (r=0.109, p=0.030). Conclusion: NLR, MNR, MLR, PLR, and SII are positively associated with malaria parasitemia. Therefore, these inflammatory immune markers can be used as a cost-effective way of assessing malaria severity as well as for malaria prognosis. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2021; 11(4):201-208.