Effect of Plasmodium Infections on CD4 Cells, Neutrophil and Lymphocytes

Knowledge of malaria-immunity is essential for understanding the pathology, treatment & vaccine production. So, changes in CD4 in malaria patients were studied at a teaching hospital in Enugu, Nigeria. 45 patients on doctor’s provisional diagnosis of malaria were examined for Plasmodium infections and the degree of parasitaemia (0/+/ ++/ & +++). Positive/(+) and negative/(0) samples were thereafter counted for CD4 using Flow Cytometry. CD4 cell count of Plasmodium-negative specimens were within reference ranges (RR): (464-1308); mean value: 835. Fifteen (+) parasitaemia showed lower ranges of CD4 count (502-1282); mean: 678; with immune falls in one (427). 9/12 (++) parasitaemia showed crash in CD4 counts, range: 301- 415; mean: 399. Seven (+++) parasitaemia showed crashes in CD4 counts, range: 160-357; mean: 225. As parasitaemia rises, neutrophils, Total WBC and lymphocyte significantly rise in numeric. Malaria causes immunosuppression; unlike prevailing reports, should accelerate complications in immunodeficients-patients, Haemolytic-anaemia results only from chronic cases. CD4 counts should be a paradigm in malaria investigation.