Changes in Trace Element concentration, Viscosity and Electrical Conductivity of blood in Malaria infected patients

Abstract

This study was conducted in Khartoum State teaching hospitals during the period of January 2005 to October 2009 to detect the physical changes by malaria parasites in human blood by determining blood viscosity, haematocrit, blood conductivity and serum conductivity beside the concentration of elements; selenium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and sodium. One hundred-fifty patients and one hundred-fifty controls were studied. Patients were those who fulfilled the clinical diagnosis of Malaria of either on or off treatment. The controls were non-infected malaria. Data from study groups were analyzed by computer using origin 6.0 and SPSS programs. This study shows that there was an appreciable decrease in the blood viscosity, blood conductivity, serum conductivity and haematorcit. The empirical relations between viscosity, conductivity and haematorcit showed that the conductivity was inversely proportional to both viscosity and haematocrit, while the viscosity was directly proportional to the haematocrit. These empirical relations were in conformity with previous studies and the theoretical relations. The theoretical relation between conductivity and viscosity was similar to that done by at Frederic Hirsch. This agreement between the theoretical and experiments indicated the validity of the theoretical model. The concentration of some elements like Se, Fe, Zn, Na, K, Cu for all samples were measured by using atomic absorption spectrometer. It was found that only considerable decreased in Se, Fe, and Zn concentrations and increased of Cu was observed among patients compared to controls, while Na and K were normal. This study also, found that the Na and K were directly proportional to the serum conductivity. These changes in some physical properties of the blood could be utilized, in the future for malaria diagnosis. This may needed an intensive research in this field to select the suitable physical properties which would be usefully for diagnosis.