Haematological Profile and Intensity of Urogenital Schistosomiasis in Ghanaian Children

BACKGROUND Urogenital schistosomiasis is a widely contracted parasitic helminth infection often associated with haematological abnormalities. AIM We investigated the relationship between the haematological profile and the intensity of schistosomiasis among children in the Yeji district. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 100 participants comprising 50 Schistosoma haematobium (S. haematobium) infected and 50 noninfected controls aged 6-17 years matched for age and sex were recruited into the study. Blood and urine samples were collected and haematological profile and presence of S. haematobium eggs were assessed using standard protocols. RESULTS Haemoglobin (HGB) (P < 0.0001), haematocrit (HCT) (P < 0.0001), mean cell volume (MCV) (P = 0.0053), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) (P < 0.0001), and mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) (P = 0.005) levels were reduced in cases compared to controls. Mixed cell percentage (MXD) (P = 0.018) and red blood cell distribution width (RDW-CV) (P = 0.012) were significantly elevated among cases as compared to controls. Haematuria was a clinical characteristic of heavy infection. CONCLUSION S. haematobium infection creates an imbalance in the haematological profile. We found low HGB, HCT, MCV, MCH, and MCHC levels coupled with increased % MXD count and RDW-CV. Also, low MCV, MCH, and MCHC and high % MXD count are independently associated with S. haematobium infection among our study participants.