The Hematological Alteration of Patients Parasitized by Plasmodium vivax

Abstract

Malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax has placed huge burdens on the health, longevity, and general prosperity of large sections of the human population. In this study, the clinical profiles of patients infected with P. vivax in western Thailand were analyzed. A retrospective cross-sectional study of malaria cases resulting in hospitalization between 2013 and 2015 was collected. Clinical characteristics, diagnoses, and parasitological results on admission, age, and gender were mined from medical records at the laboratory unit, Phop Phra Hospital, located in endemic areas of Tak Province, Thailand. The results revealed that patients infected with P. vivax (276 cases) showed high monocyte counts during the initial stage of infection and continuously lower counts during the later stage of infection (p = 0.021). Low basophil counts during the initial stage of infection and continuously higher counts during the later stage of infection were also found (p = 0.033). Patients with many stages of P. vivax showed lower lymphocyte and basophil counts (p value = 0.011, 0.01), respectively. In conclusion, this study indicated the hematological alteration of patients infected with P. vivax. Alterations of monocyte and basophil counts during different stages of P. vivax infection were frequently found. In addition, many stages of P. vivax in the blood of patients were associated with lower lymphocyte counts. This information contributes to a better understanding of the pathological characteristics of P. vivax infection.