Liver function biomakers in Malaria and Hepatitis B co-infection among patients with febrile illness

Malaria and Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) co-infections present major threat to public health throughout tropical and Sub-Saharan Africa. This study was carried out to analyze the status of liver enzymes and serum protein in HBV and malaria co-infected patients in Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital (MMSH) Kano.

Standard microscopy and rapid diagnostic test (RDT) were used separately to screen for mono and co-infections among 200 outpatients presented with fever. Their serum protein and liver enzymes were investigated.

Among the total subjects studied 25.5% were malaria positive. Females had higher rate of malaria infection (18%) than males (7.5%). Age group 15–24 had the highest malaria prevalence (11%). Thirteen (6.5%) subjects were HBV positive. Males had higher rate of infection (4.5%) than females (2.0%). Male subjects had higher prevalence of co-infection representing 4.5% and age groups 25–34 were observed to have highest co-infection rate of 1.5%. Biochemical parameters analyzed on all the categories of subjects shows significant difference in their mean values as compared to other groups (P<0.05). However no significant difference was observed in the value of ALP in all the groups. Statistical difference was also established in ALB values between the co-infection and malaria groups (P=0.037) and between malaria and control group (P=0.022). There is also a statistical difference in the mean value of total bilirubin among the groups P<0.05 and mean value of DB between HBV and control groups (P=0.022).

The study showed that co-infection of malaria and HBV infection had no profound effect on the level of serum protein and liver enzyme activities in the serum.