Assessment of merozoite surface protein-1 antibodies and anaemia severity in various treatment stages of a nutrananosphere artemisinin-bioflavonoid antimalarial therapy

Abstract

Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) effectively treats uncomplicated malaria, but treatment failures and resistance occur in some regions. This study is to assess the merozoite surface protein antibodies and anemia development in an artemisinin-bioflavonoid antimalaria. Seventy-seven individuals, comprising forty-two adults and thirty-five children diagnosed with malaria, were recruited from a primary health care facility in Osun state, Nigeria. Following treatment with the TriAntiMal^TM NutraNanosphere, blood samples were collected on days 0, 3, 7, and 16 (D0, D3, D7, and D16) and analyzed for malaria parasite density, anti-MSP-1, and anaemia indicators; Hb, HCT, MCV, MCH and MCHC using thick and thin film examination by WHO-certified microscopists; ELISA and Sysmex K2ZIN autoanalyser respectively. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 20, with a p-value ≤0.05 considered significant. Anti-MSP-1 levels declined significantly over time; malaria parasite density values decreased from day 0 (103.04±39.04) to day 3 (93.77±36.98), 7 (81.46±30.4), and 16 (67.72±34.53) respectively. Participants with severe anaemia with various anti-MSP-1 concentration decreased from 14.3% (5 subjects) to 2.8% (1 subject) in children and 7.1% (3 subjects) to 2.1% (1 subject) in adults respectively by day 3. Their hematological parameters improved significantly by days 7 and 16 from anaemic state seen in some subjects to normal condition. The decline in MSP-1 antibodies, reduction in parasite density, and improved hematological parameters indicate TriAntiMal^TM efficacy. The potential link between MSP-1 antibodies and anaemia severity underscores the complex nature of the host immune response in malaria pathogenesis.