Comparative Analysis of Haematological and Biochemical Profiles in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Malaria in Relation to Parasite Density

Abstract

Malaria in endemic areas can be symptomatic or asymptomatic, affecting regular laboratory results. University students are relevant because parasitaemia can be identified accidentally, but haematological and biochemical alterations are difficult to interpret without local comparative evidence. This study examined asymptomatic and symptomatic malaria laboratory profiles in Takoradi Technical University students in Nzimah Mensah Hall and Prof. Duncan Hall. The study employed cross-sectional comparative design. 100 asymptomatic and 50 symptomatic malaria-positive students were recruited. Microscopy, Sysmex XN-350 haematological testing, and Humastar 100 biochemical testing were performed on venous blood for malaria confirmation. Data were analysed using R-studio. Group differences were analysed using t-tests or Mann–Whitney U tests with effect size calculation, and Spearman correlation examined parasite density relationships in asymptomatic cases. In symptomatic patients, parasite density was greater (2556.26 ± 2117.73 parasites/µL) than in asymptomatic instances (758.37 ± 1216.94 parasites/µL). Symptomatic students had lower haemoglobin (10.77 ± 2.36 vs 12.94 ± 2.01 g/dL), lower platelet counts (176.46 ± 76.13 vs 293.99 ± 76.25 ×10⁹/L), and higher ALT, AST, and creatinine levels. In asymptomatic cases, parasite density ranged from 21 to 9458 parasites/µL and had a slight connection with platelet count (ρ = 0.224, p = 0.025). Asymptomatic malaria in TTU students is stable in the lab despite changing parasite loads, while symptomatic malaria causes heavier parasitaemia and haematological and biochemical abnormalities.