ABSTRACT

Reticulocytes are the youngest erythrocytes which are released from the bone marrow into the blood as compensatory replacement for dead or haemolysed RBC caused by P. falciparum infection. Malaria disease is endemic in tropical countries and responsible for over 1190 deaths per day. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of P. falciparum infection on reticulocyte count of patients with malaria infection. A total of 100 blood samples were collected from malaria infected patients and examined for P. falciparum infection, reticulocyte count and determination of the RPI. The samples were analyzed using thin blood film by new methylene blue staining for reticulocyte count and thick blood film by giemsa staining for P. falciparum examination. A prevalence of 77% (77) was observed for mild (+) P. falciparum infection and 23% (23) for severe (++) P. falciparum infection of the 100 malaria samples examined. Overall the mean reticulocyte count was elevated 3.270±0.1230 in comparison to control 1.391±0.070 P<0.05, also the mean RPI was elevated 2.935±0.105 in comparison to control 1.453±0.045 P<0.05. However more categorized distribution of the reticulocyte count and RPI revealed a significant decrease in the mean reticulocyte count (2.510±0.1806) in severe (++) P. falciparum infection when compared with Mild P. falciparum infection (+) (3.809± 0.1462) P<0.05. Also RPI showed a significant decrease in severe malaria (++) 1.914±0.1206 when compared with mild malaria (+) (3.217±0.1104) P<0.05. Also of the 23(23%) patients recorded with severe P. falciparum infection 15 (65%) were patients with the haemoglobin genotype AA, while 8 (34%) were patients with the haemoglobin genotype AS P<0.05. Although the onset of P. falciparum infection is quickly followed by bone marrow reticulocytosis as evidenced in this study, a positive trend in the severity of blood parasitaemia by P. falciparum is accompanied by decreasing or suppressed bone marrow reticulocytosis and RPI.