PLASMODIUM-FALCIPARUM MALARIA - ITS EFFECTS ON SOME HEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN NORMAL AND SICKLE-CELL NIGERIAN CHILDREN

The effect of Plasmodium falciparum malaria on the iron status was det ermined in 80 children: normal children without malaria (20) and with malaria (20), and sickle cell anaemia without malaria (17) and with ma laria (23). Iron status was assessed using serum transferrin, serum ir on, transferrin saturation and haemoglobin. The non-malaria sickle cel l anaemia (SCA) group had lower transferrin (234.0 +/- 21.0) and haemo globin (8.1 +/- 0.4) than non-malaria normal group (260.6 +/- 17.1 mg/ 100 ml and 12.5% respectively). Serum iron was higher in sickle cell a naemia (125.1 +/- 17.1) than non-malaria normals (119.2 + 1 mu g/100 m l). Malaria caused an increase in serum transferrin, TIBC and serum ir on in both normal and SCA children; these changes were more dramatic i n normal than in SCA children.