Serum Apolipoprotein-A1 and Cholesterol Levels in Nigerian Children with Plasmodium falciparum Infection

OBJECTIVE This study was carried out to determine whether or not Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection significantly affected apolipoprotein-A1 and cholesterol levels and if apolipoprotein-A1 correlated with the malaria severity in children younger than 5 years old. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Two hundred and fifty-five children, 170 of whom had microscopically confirmed P. falciparum infection, i.e. 85 cases of uncomplicated malaria (UM) and 85 of complicated malaria (CM), and 85 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Serum levels of apolipoprotein-A1, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides were determined. These levels were compared among the malaria and control groups, using ANOVA and post hoc analyses at p = 0.05. RESULTS There were significant differences in the mean serum levels of apolipoprotein-A1 (UM: 104.5 ± 38.1 mg/dl, CM: 90.9 ± 33.3 mg/dl and controls: 129.7 ± 48.3 mg/dl; p < 0.001), total cholesterol (UM: 138.8 ± 62.9 mg/dl, CM: 121.2 ± 55.2 mg/dl and controls: 155.1 ± 69.8 mg/dl; p = 0.002) and LDL (UM: 98.2 ± 55.5 mg/dl, CM: 84.3 ± 47.4 mg/dl and controls: 122.7 ± 69.4 mg/dl; p < 0.001). Post hoc analyses revealed that children with UM and CM had significantly lower levels of apolipoprotein-A1, cholesterol, HDL and LDL than controls but that there was no difference between the 2 malaria groups. Reductions in levels of lipids and apolipoprotein-A1 were worse in CM than in UM. CONCLUSION Altered levels of serum lipids with CM were associated with a reduction in apolipoprotein-A1. These findings have potential diagnostic utility for the management of malaria.