Changes in Levels of Antioxidant Markers and Status of Some Enzyme Activities among Falciparum Malaria Patients in Yemen

Clinical data indicate that oxidative stress and activities may play important roles in Plasmodium falciparum. The aim of this study was to assess the erythrocyte antioxidants and evaluate enzyme activities as marker for Plasmodium falciparum malaria patients. The diagnosis of malaria was confirmed by thick and thin film with Giemsa staining of malaria parasite. Ninety consenting individuals, sixty infected patients and thirty uninfected subjects comprising both sexes were randomly selected and age range between 18 to 48 years. The levels of Erythrocytic superoxide dismutase eSOD, serum ceruloplasmin (CP), vitamin C, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were determined. Low levels of essential antioxidants such as eSOD and vitamin C in the patients have been found to be associated with an increased risk of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Low levels of antioxidants observed in the falciparum malaria patients may be due to their increased utilization to free radical scavenger. High level of CP observed in the Plasmodium falciparum malaria patients may be of powerful potency against oxidative stress. Furthermore, lowered levels of antioxidants especially of vitamin C in malaria infection suggest that antioxidant may play a major role in the treatment of malaria infection. It was detected that serum levels of ALP and LDH were significantly higher in Plasmodium falciparum malaria patients group, compared with the healthy group. Higher levels of LDH and ALP in the Plasmodium falciparum malaria patients may be used in the diagnosis and treatment and monitoring of patients with malaria. Results also suggest that the rise in LDH activity may be as a result of the cellular anoxia of liver rather than other tissues in malaria patients.