Biochemical alterations in Plasmodium vivax-infected malarial patients before and after radical treatment

Biochemical alterations in 152 malaria patients infected with Plasmodium vivax were studied and the effect of parasitaemia on these changes was assessed. The degree of parasitaemia correlated positively with plasma uric acid, total and unconjugated bilirubin. A decrease in the levels of serum total protein, albumin, serum total, free and ester cholesterol was observed in vivax malaria. A follow-up study done on a section of the above patients after administration of chloroquine and primaquine for radical treatment of malaria showed the most of the alterations observed were bought back to normal. However, blood haemoglobin level was not restored to normal even after ten days of commencement of treatment.