Lipid Peroxidation and Catalase Levels among Children Presenting with Severe Falciparum Malaria in the Sefwi Wiawso Municipality, Ghana

This study investigated the levels of oxidative stress in children presenting with severe falciparum malaria and also determined the relationship that exists between these measured biomarkers of oxidative stress and the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for the classification of severe malaria in children. In a cross sectional study, serum Malondialdehyde (MDA) and catalase levels were measured in 75 parasitaemic and 30 non-parasitaemic children in the Sefwi Wiawso municipality. High MDA with low catalase, platelets, glycaemia and haemoglobin levels was observed in the severe malaria group compared to the controls and the uncomplicated malaria (UCM) group (p<0.05). Severely parasitaemic children also had the highest mean MDA concentration and lowest mean Catalase (p<0.05) among the three groups studied. We observed a positive correlation between MDA levels and malaria parasite density (r = 0.936, p<0.05); serum catalase and Hb (r = 0.850, p = 0.001) and catalase levels and platelets count (r = 0.464, p<0.05). However, a negative correlation was observed between MDA levels and Hb (r = -0.941; p = 0.003) catalase levels and malarial parasite density (r = -0.920, p = 0.001) and MDA and platelet count (r = -0.694, p<0.05). Severe malaria creates oxidative stress proportionate to the degree of parasitaemia; these biomarkers of oxidative stress correlate with the WHO criteria on the classification of severe malaria.