D-dimer levels in non-immune travelers with malaria

Eyal Meltzer, Shlomit Keller, Stienlauf Shmuel, Eli Schwartz*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)104-106
Number of pages3
JournalTravel Medicine and Infectious Disease
Volume27
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2019

Keywords

  • D-dimer
  • Malaria/diagnosis
  • Plasmodium falciparum
  • Plasmodium vivax
  • Travel

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