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Malaria triggers substantial inflammation when infected red blood cells rupture and release parasites into the bloodstream. A study conducted in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, examined specific inflammatory markers in 400 individuals aged 1 to 65 years, comparing 200 malaria-positive patients against 200 uninfected controls. Blood analysis revealed that individuals with malaria experienced significant increases in C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and plasma fibrinogen compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, the evaluation detected distinct sex-specific variations among infected patients. Malaria-positive females exhibited significantly higher erythrocyte sedimentation rates and fibrinogen concentrations than infected males. These differences point to a potentially more pronounced inflammatory or haemostatic response to malaria infection in women.
Malaria can lead to severe health complications driven by intense inflammatory reactions. By measuring specific blood markers like C-reactive protein and fibrinogen, healthcare professionals gain clearer insight into how the body reacts to infection. Recognising that women may experience higher inflammatory and haemostatic responses helps medical practitioners better understand disease presentation and anticipate complications.
This is early-stage clinical research identifying biomarker variations in malaria patients. The findings could inform future diagnostic panel designs or clinical monitoring protocols used by healthcare providers and diagnostics developers to track inflammatory severity. However, because the study focuses solely on observational biomarker evaluation, practical diagnostic or therapeutic tools remain distant from market deployment without further development and validation.
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Malaria is a highly inflammatory disease characterised by periodic fever, headache, and nausea, which correspond to the rupture of infected erythrocytes and the release of merozoites that replicate within the host to produce newly formed daughter parasites. The aim of this study was to evaluate selected inflammatory markers in malaria-infected subjects in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. This study therefore sought to contribute to the prevention of complications arising from malaria parasitaemia. A cross-sectional case-control design was used. A total of 400 participants aged 1–65 years were included; 200 were positive for malaria parasites and 200 were negative. Ten millilitres of venous blood was collected from each subject. C-reactive protein (CRP) was analysed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was analysed using the Westergren method, while plasma fibrinogen concentration was analysed quantitatively using the STA-Compact and Clauss clotting method. Malaria parasites were estimated by microscopy of thick and thin blood films stained with Giemsa. GraphPad Prism version 9.0.4 was used for data analysis. Mean CRP (52.09 ± 36.16), fibrinogen (514.80 ± 388.20), and ESR (39.41 ± 27.24) levels were significantly elevated in malaria-infected subjects compared with controls (5.94 ± 8.40, 247.50 ± 120.10, and 8.76 ± 3.84, respectively; P = .05). Significant differences were also identified between infected males (FIB 488.00 ± 18.75; ESR 35.31 ± 25.01) and infected females (FIB 541.52 ± 51.60; ESR 43.50 ± 28.82) at P = .05. These findings indicate sex-specific differences, particularly higher fibrinogen and ESR levels in females, suggesting a potentially more pronounced inflammatory response or altered haemostasis in women.
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DOI: 10.9734/ijr2h/2026/v9i2238
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