Association between hemoglobin variants and laboratory outcomes in patients infected with P. falciparum from South West Uganda

AIMS: We assess the relationship between various hemoglobin variants and some hematological parameters packed cell volume, white blood cells (PCV, WBC) and parasitemia level of patients with malaria in the southwestern, Uganda. METHODS: Patient were enrolled by rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), confirmed by microscopy, and laboratory outcomes were determined. RESULTS: Patients positive for malaria RDTs were 155, microscopic-confirmed P. falciparum parasites were 95 (61.29%) having hemoglobin variants HbAA and HbAS; 75 (78.95%) and 13 (13.68%), respectively. The laboratory outcomes showed mean, PCV (32.19 ± 4.83), WBC (5831.66 ± 2888.29) and P. falciparum parasitaemia density (32,605.45 ± 14031), while the hemoglobin variants mean values AA (39,008.85 ± 31,261.56), AC (15908 ± 10173.48), AS (16,561.46 ± 15,380.93), SC (30,524 ± 0.000) and SS(1652 ± 0.000) were significantly different from the total population (34,321.5 ± 21,924.26) parasite-density. CONCLUSION: Patients with hemoglobin variants HbAA had a significantly higher parasite-carrying capacity and PCV levels.