TY - JOUR
T1 - D-dimer levels in non-immune travelers with malaria
AU - Meltzer, Eyal
AU - Keller, Shlomit
AU - Shmuel, Stienlauf
AU - Schwartz, Eli
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2019/1/1
Y1 - 2019/1/1
N2 - Background: Elevated serum D-dimer levels may reflect endothelial activation, which in malaria may correlate with parasite biomass and disease severity. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of all non-immune travelers hospitalized with malaria during 01/2000–12/2014 at the Sheba Medical Center, Israel. Admission and peak D-dimer levels were compared among malaria patients, according to Plasmodium species and severity. Results: Complete laboratory data was available for 94/168 travelers hospitalized with malaria, with 68.1% caused by P. falciparum. Admission D-dimer levels were significantly higher in P. falciparum malaria compared to non-falciparum malaria cases (3585 ± 7045 and 802 ± 1248 ng/dL respectively, p = 0.04). Admission D-dimer levels were higher in patients with severe compared to non-severe P. falciparum malaria (4058 ± 3544 & 3490 ± 7549 ng/dL), however the difference was short of statistical significance (P = 0.06). Peak D-dimer levels were also significantly higher in severe and non-severe P. falciparum than in non-falciparum cases. Conclusions: In most non-immune travelers with malaria, D-dimer levels are elevated, are higher in P. falciparum malaria compared to non-falciparum malaria, and appear to increase with disease severity, probably reflecting the level of endothelial damage.
AB - Background: Elevated serum D-dimer levels may reflect endothelial activation, which in malaria may correlate with parasite biomass and disease severity. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of all non-immune travelers hospitalized with malaria during 01/2000–12/2014 at the Sheba Medical Center, Israel. Admission and peak D-dimer levels were compared among malaria patients, according to Plasmodium species and severity. Results: Complete laboratory data was available for 94/168 travelers hospitalized with malaria, with 68.1% caused by P. falciparum. Admission D-dimer levels were significantly higher in P. falciparum malaria compared to non-falciparum malaria cases (3585 ± 7045 and 802 ± 1248 ng/dL respectively, p = 0.04). Admission D-dimer levels were higher in patients with severe compared to non-severe P. falciparum malaria (4058 ± 3544 & 3490 ± 7549 ng/dL), however the difference was short of statistical significance (P = 0.06). Peak D-dimer levels were also significantly higher in severe and non-severe P. falciparum than in non-falciparum cases. Conclusions: In most non-immune travelers with malaria, D-dimer levels are elevated, are higher in P. falciparum malaria compared to non-falciparum malaria, and appear to increase with disease severity, probably reflecting the level of endothelial damage.
KW - D-dimer
KW - Malaria/diagnosis
KW - Plasmodium falciparum
KW - Plasmodium vivax
KW - Travel
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85048819652&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.tmaid.2018.05.004
DO - 10.1016/j.tmaid.2018.05.004
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C2 - 29751131
AN - SCOPUS:85048819652
SN - 1477-8939
VL - 27
SP - 104
EP - 106
JO - Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
JF - Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
ER -