Estado nutricional na malária: influência nos aspectos clínicos e laboratoriais de pacientes naturalmente infectados por Plasmodium vivax

Abstract

Malaria is considered by the World Health Organization a global public health problem. In Brazil, most cases occur by P. vivax. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of obesity on inflammatory markers, biochemical, hematological, parasitological profiles and clinical manifestations in vivax malaria patients at Pará State. Seventy-eight (37 eutrophic, 25 overweight and 14 obese) patients positive to P. vivax were included. Chills, headache, malaria triad (fever, chills and headache), myalgia, cough and diarrhea were more frequent, whereas the clinical score were higher in obese compared to normal weight patients. Obese patients had a higher level of count of total leukocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, triglycerides, total cholesterol, VLDL, AST, ALT compared to lean patients. Parasitaemia was similar among nutritional status, although was observed trend to higher parasitaemia (> 5.000 parasites/μL) in obese patients. Serum levels of TNF-α and IL-10 did not differ among nutritional groups, though there was a negative correlation between TNF-α and waist circumference. Among overweight and obese was observed a positive correlation between IL-10 and parasitemia, neutrophils, urea and a negative correlation with red blood cells, lymphocytes, platelets. Throughout, TNF-α was correlated negativity with the clinical score. Nutritional status influences immune response against the infection and it has been an important risk factor in this findings. However, further studies are required to understand the malaria in this context.