Dataset Information

Reduction in total leukocytes in malaria patients compared to febrile controls: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Leukocyte alterations are a common hematological alteration among malaria patients.

Objectives

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to provide data and evidence comparing alterations in total leukocyte counts in malaria patients compared to febrile/healthy subjects at baseline before treatment. A systematic review was conducted by following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Data sources

Web of Science (ISI), Scopus, and Medline.

Study eligibility criteria, participants, and interventions

All published articles reporting a total leukocyte count of patients infected with malaria, non-malaria (febrile or healthy group) at baseline before treatment before August 27, 2019, were retrieved, and data were extracted by two main reviewers independently.

Study appraisal and synthesis methods

We used a forest plot, heterogeneity test (Cochran's Q), and the degree of heterogeneity (I2) to test whether the included studies were heterogeneous. The quality of the included studies was determined by a quality assessment guide based on the quality assessment tool developed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Cochran's Q (Chi-square) and Moran's I2 were used to evaluate heterogeneity. Meta-regression using STATA software was conducted to find the source of heterogeneity. A funnel plot with Egger's test was used to examine the significance of publication bias among the included studies. The mean differences were estimated using a random-effects model.

Results

Out of the 2,261 articles screened, 29 articles were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The heterogeneity test indicated that there was heterogeneity among the included studies with no publication bias. The meta-analysis demonstrated that the total leukocyte count was significantly lower in patients with malaria (n = 4,619) than in those without malaria (n = 10,056) (Z = 4.0, P-value < 0.00001, mean difference = -1.38, 95% CI = -2.06-(-0.71)). Leukocyte differential alterations, low lymphocyte counts (P-value <0.0001, mean difference = -1.03, 95% CI = -1.53-(-0.53)) and a high NL ratio were found in the malaria group (n = 1,579) compared to the non-malaria group (n = 4,991) (P-value <0.0001, mean difference = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.32-0.88). The subgroup analysis indicated that there was a significantly lower total leukocyte count in the malaria group (n = 3,545) than in the febrile group (n = 8,947) (Z = 1.33, P-value < 0.0001, mean difference = -1.76, 95% CI = -2.56-(-0.96)), but no significant difference was found between the malaria group (n = 1,232) and the healthy group (n = 1,679) (P-value > 0.05).

Limitations

As the specific diagnoses in the febrile groups were not reported in the included studies so that the results of the present study need to be carefully interpreted.

Conclusions and implications of key findings

This systematic review demonstrated that the total leukocyte count was affected by malarial infection at baseline despite the heterogeneity of the included studies. Future work must aim to understand the treatment-related total leukocyte reduction during follow-up or post-treatment outcomes in malaria-endemic settings.

SUBMITTER: Kotepui M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7310711 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Reduction in total leukocytes in malaria patients compared to febrile controls: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Kotepui Manas M Kotepui Kwuntida Uthaisar KU Milanez Giovanni D GD Masangkay Frederick R FR

PloS one 20200623 6

<h4>Background</h4>Leukocyte alterations are a common hematological alteration among malaria patients.<h4>Objectives</h4>This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to provide data and evidence comparing alterations in total leukocyte counts in malaria patients compared to febrile/healthy subjects at baseline before treatment. A systematic review was conducted by following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement for reporting systematic review ...[more]

PMID: 32574170

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Project description:Co-infection with malaria and chikungunya (CHIKV) could exert a significant public health impact with infection misdiagnosis. Therefore, this study aimed to collect qualitative and quantitative evidence of malaria and CHIKV co-infection among febrile patients. Methods: Potentially relevant studies were identified using PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. The bias risk of the included studies was assessed using the checklist for analytical cross-sectional studies developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The pooled prevalence of malaria and CHIKV co-infection among febrile patients and the pooled prevalence of CHIKV infection among malaria patients were estimated with the random effect model. The odds of malaria and CHIKV co-infection among febrile patients were also estimated using a random effect model that presumed the heterogeneity of the outcomes of the included studies. The heterogeneity among the included studies was assessed using the Cochran Q test and I2 statistics. Publication bias was assessed using the funnel plot and Egger's test. Results: Of the 1924 studies that were identified from the three databases, 10 fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in our study. The pooled prevalence of malaria and CHIKV co-infection (182 cases) among febrile patients (16,787 cases), stratified by diagnostic tests for CHIKV, was 10% (95% confidence interval (CI): 8-11%, I2: 99.5%) using RDT (IgM), 7% (95% CI: 4-10%) using the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), 1% (95% CI: 0-2%, I2: 41.5%) using IgM and IgG ELISA, and 4% (95% CI: 2-6%) using real-time RT-PCR. When the prevalence was stratified by country, the prevalence of co-infection was 7% (95% CI: 5-10%, I2: 99.5%) in Nigeria, 1% (95% CI: 0-2%, I2: 99.5%) in Tanzania, 10% (95% CI: 8-11%) in Sierra Leone, 1% (95% CI: 0-4%) in Mozambique, and 4% (95% CI: 2-6%) in Kenya. The pooled prevalence of CHIKV infection (182 cases) among malaria patients (8317 cases), stratified by diagnostic tests for CHIKV, was 39% (95% CI: 34-44%, I2: 99.7%) using RDT (IgM), 43% (95% CI: 30-57%) using PRNT, 5% (95% CI: 3-7%, I2: 5.18%) using IgM and IgG ELISA, and 9% (95% CI: 6-15%) using real-time RT-PCR. The meta-analysis showed that malaria and CHIKV co-infection occurred by chance (p: 0.59, OR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.6-1.07, I2: 78.5%). Conclusions: The prevalence of malaria and CHIKV co-infection varied from 0% to 10% as per the diagnostic test for CHIKV infection or the country where the co-infection was reported. Hence, the clinicians who diagnose patients with malaria infections in areas where two diseases are endemic should further investigate for CHIKV co-infection to prevent misdiagnosis or delayed treatment of concurrent infection.

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Dataset Information

Reduction in total leukocytes in malaria patients compared to febrile controls: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background

Objectives

Data sources

Study eligibility criteria, participants, and interventions

Study appraisal and synthesis methods

Results

Limitations

Conclusions and implications of key findings

Publications

Reduction in total leukocytes in malaria patients compared to febrile controls: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Similar Datasets

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