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March 22, 2026PLoS ONE0 citationsOpen Access

Malaria parasitemia and its association with liver function parameters, and lipid profile among malaria-infected adult patients in western Ethiopia: A comparative cross-sectional study

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NCNigus CheckoleWCWaqtola ChenekeTITemam Ibrahim

Key Points

  • To assess the relationship between malaria parasitemia and liver function parameters and lipid profile in infected adults.
  • Comparative cross-sectional study conducted among 302 participants in Assosa town, Ethiopia.
  • Data collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed with STATA software.
  • Blood samples were tested for liver function and lipid parameters using Cobas 311 automated clinical chemistry analyzer.
  • 70.86% of malaria cases were infected with P. falciparum.
  • Malaria patients had significantly higher levels of liver enzymes and bilirubin compared to controls (p < 0.001).
  • Malaria patients exhibited significantly lower cholesterol and HDL/LDL levels compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05).

Abstract

Background Malaria poses a public health problem because it manifests anemia, renal and liver dysfunction, Jaundice, and dyslipidemia. Therefore, the study aimed to assess malaria parasitemia and its association with liver function parameters and lipid profile in Assosa town, Ethiopia from December 23/2021 to March 4/2022. Methods Institution-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 302 study participants (151 study groups and 151comparison group) who were selected by consecutive sampling technique. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected using structured questionnaires and entered using Epi Data version 4.6. Venous blood specimen was collected from all study individuals and tested for selected parameters by Cobas 311 automated clinical chemistry analyzer. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s Chi-square, t-test, and ANOVA were used to assess the association using STATA software version 14. Results A total of 302 study participants comprising 212(70.2%) males were included. Majority (70.86%) of malaria patients were infected with P. falciparum (The parasitic densities were reported with 30.46%, 46.36%, and 23.18% for low, moderate, and high parasitemia, respectively. The mean value of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and serum bilirubin was significantly higher in malaria patients than in apparently healthy controls (p < 0.001). However, the mean value of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly lower in malaria patients than controls (P < 0.05). Conclusion and Recommendation Liver function tests and lipid profile should be assessed for malaria infected individuals in order to prevent malaria complications.

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Cite This Study

Checkole et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69bf393dc7b3c90b18b4394bhttps://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0345059
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