Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Selection of Plasmodium falciparum Parasites for Cytoadhesion to Human Brain Endothelial Cells
10:09

Selection of Plasmodium falciparum Parasites for Cytoadhesion to Human Brain Endothelial Cells

Published on: January 3, 2012

Hepatopathy in complicated falciparum malaria: report from eastern India

N Mohanty1, S K Satpathy, P Nanda

  • 1M.K.C.G. Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur 760 004, Orissa, India.

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
|October 16, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Complicated falciparum malaria in children often causes liver disease (hepatopathy), particularly in those over five years old. While liver enzymes were elevated, it did not significantly increase mortality risk.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Hepatology

Background:

  • Complicated falciparum malaria is a significant cause of childhood illness.
  • Hepatic involvement in pediatric malaria requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the incidence and characteristics of hepatopathy in children with complicated falciparum malaria.
  • To assess the association of hepatopathy with other malaria complications and mortality.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study involving 216 children diagnosed with complicated falciparum malaria.
  • Clinical evaluation and biochemical assessments, including bilirubin and alanine aminotransferase levels.
  • Monitoring for other common malaria complications and patient outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Hepatopathy was observed in 33.3% of the pediatric cases.
  • Higher incidence of hepatopathy was noted in children above five years of age.
  • Moderate elevations in bilirubin and alanine aminotransferase were common; no significant association with other complications or increased mortality risk was found.

Conclusions:

  • Hepatopathy is a frequent complication of pediatric falciparum malaria, especially in older children.
  • Liver enzyme abnormalities are common but do not appear to correlate with increased mortality in this cohort.

More Related Videos

A Simple Protocol for Platelet-mediated Clumping of Plasmodium falciparum-infected Erythrocytes in a Resource Poor Setting07:27

A Simple Protocol for Platelet-mediated Clumping of Plasmodium falciparum-infected Erythrocytes in a Resource Poor Setting

Published on: May 16, 2013

Methods to Investigate the Regulatory Role of Small RNAs and Ribosomal Occupancy of Plasmodium falciparum10:22

Methods to Investigate the Regulatory Role of Small RNAs and Ribosomal Occupancy of Plasmodium falciparum

Published on: December 4, 2015

Related Concept Videos

Symbiosis00:58

Symbiosis

Symbiotic relationships are long-term, close interactions between individuals of different species that affect the distribution and abundance of those species. When a relationship is beneficial to both species, this is called mutualism. When the relationship is beneficial to one species but neither beneficial nor harmful to the other species, this is called commensalism. When one organism is harmed to benefit another, the relationship is known as parasitism. These types of relationships often...
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever01:26

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is a severe tick-borne illness caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, a Gram-negative, coccobacillary bacterium. This pathogen is an obligate intracellular parasite, requiring a host cell for replication. Transmission occurs through the bite of an infected tick. In the United States, the most important vectors are Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick) and Dermacentor andersoni (Rocky Mountain wood tick), though other tick species may also serve as vectors.
Malaria01:29

Malaria

Malaria pathogenesis in humans reflects a delicate interplay between parasite biology and host response. Clinical illness reflects a host’s immune response to the parasite’s asexual replication cycle, which is often asymptomatic in individuals with partial immunity. From the parasite's perspective, transmission between mosquito and human with minimal host pathology is evolutionarily advantageous. Among the six Plasmodium species infecting humans, P. falciparum and P. vivax dominate in global...
Amebiasis01:28

Amebiasis

Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...