Liver Enzymes and Lipid Profile of Malaria Patients Before and After Antimalarial Drug Treatment at Dembia Primary Hospital and Teda Health Center, Northwest, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Infection with malaria in humans involves liver cell destruction, which alters the levels of liver enzymes and lipid profiles. A number of studies have been conducted to address the impact of malaria on liver enzymes and lipid profiles but no studies were addressed after antimalarial treatment in Ethiopia. This study is intended to fill this gap. METHODS: An observational cohort study was conducted at Dembia Primary Hospital and Teda Health Center, from June to August 2020. Eighty eight malaria infected study participants were recruited using random sampling techniques. Socio-demographic data, capillary and venous blood samples were collected. Assessment of liver enzymes and lipid profiles was done using Beckman Coulter DC-700 clinical chemistry analyzer. Data were entered using Epi-data and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. One way ANOVA, independent t-test, and paired t-test were used to compare the mean liver enzymes and lipid profile. p-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Before anti-malaria treatment, among 88 study participants, elevated AST (87.5%), ALT (12.5%), ALP (43.2%), and TG (17.2%) and lower HDL (87.5%) and normal LDL and TC were observed. After treatment, 100% AST, ALT, HDL, and LDL and 92% ALP, 94.3% TC, and 86.4% TG levels were in the normal range. The mean level of AST and ALT increased while HDL decreased from low to higher density parasitaemia. Mean level of AST was significantly lower while ALT did not alter. HDL, LDL, and TC level were increased but statistically were insignificant (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Malaria could be responsible for increased liver enzymes and certain lipids while decreasing some lipid profiles. After anti-malaria treatment, these parameters were reversed to normal from 86.4% to 100%. Hence, prompt treatment is important to improve liver enzymes and lipid profile impairment during malaria infection.