African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases

Full Length Research paper

A study of the relationship between micronutrient status and malaria infection among children in Douala town, Cameroon

Gouado Inocent¹*, Lehman Leopold Gustave², Some Issa T.³, Mbouyap Yolande¹, Pankoui Mfonkeu Joel Bertand ¹, Ejoh Aba Richard⁴ and Tchouanguep Mbiapo Felicité⁵

¹Department of Biochemistry, University of Douala; P.O. Box: 24157 Douala, Cameroon.

²Department of Animal Biology, University of Douala; P.O. Box: 24157 Douala, Cameroon.

³Laboratory of Analytic Chemistry and Toxicology, Teaching and Research Unit in Health Sciences, University of Ouagadougou - Burkina Faso.

⁴Department of Food Sciences and Nutrition, University of Ngaoundére, Ngaoundéré – Cameroon.

⁵Department of biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang – Cameroon.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 10 March, 2015

Abstract

Malaria is an endemic parasitic disease that prevails particularly in warm tropical regions of the world. Micronutrient malnutrition such as vitamin A and iron deficiencies which is a public health problem in Cameroon is usually highly prevalent in malaria endemic areas. Characterizing the relationship between micronutrient status (vitamin A, zinc and calcium) and malaria infection among children in Douala town (Cameroon), serum levels of zinc, calcium and vitamin A, were assayed in a total of 116 Cameroonian children (62 controls and 54 malaria patients infected by Plasmodium falciparum) less than six years old by colorimetric and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques respectively showed a significantly lower vitamin A and calcium concentrations (P < 0.01) among malaria patients (0.8 ± 0.4 µmol/l and 81.3 ± 23.7 mg/l) as compared to the controls (1.1 ± 0.6 µmol/l and 96.3 ± 16.7 mg/ml). Vitamin A, calcium and zinc status were lower in 51.85%, 51.85% and 27.27% of malaria patients respectively. Significant correlations (P<0.01) were observed when the following parameters were coupled: Vitamin A/zinc among infected children (r = 0.01), and vitamin A and zinc among uninfected children (r = 0.415). This study suggests that P. falciparum use vitamin A and calcium of its host for its proper metabolism, leading to a decrease in serum levels of these nutrients.

Key words: Malaria, vitamin A, zinc, calcium, parasitaemia.