High CRP levels are a biomarker for early detection and monitoring of malaria severity

Objectives:
Are high CRP levels a biomarker for the early detection and monitoring of malaria severity?

Study design:
This review article included 29 studies. All included studies reported the quantitative data of CRP in patients were published between 1989 and 2021.
Among the included studies, there were 731 cases of severe malaria, 1,600 cases of uncomplicated malaria, 1,697 cases of asymptomatic malaria and 3,658 cases of healthy/febrile controls.

The quality of the included studies was assessed using the NOS, which has a maximum total of 7 stars. 16 studies were rated 7 stars in total, while 14 studies were rated 6 stars in total as febrile patients had been used as a control group.

Results and conclusions:
The investigators found in meta-analysis that mean CRP levels in patients with severe malaria were significantly higher compared with uncomplicated malaria [SMD = 1.52, 95% CI = 0.91 to 2.12, p 0.001, I2 = 95.1%].

The investigators found in meta-analysis that mean CRP levels in patients with uncomplicated malaria were significantly higher compared with asymptomatic malaria [SMD = 1.65, 95% CI = 0.67 to 2.62, p = 0.001, I2 = 96.7%].

The investigators found in meta-analysis that mean CRP levels in patients with uncomplicated malaria were significantly higher compared with febrile/healthy controls [SMD = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.37 to 3.40, p 0.001, I2 = 98.5%].

The investigators found in meta-analysis that mean CRP levels in patients with asymptomatic malaria were significantly higher compared with febrile/healthy controls [SMD = 2.55, 95% CI = 1.60 to 3.50, p 0.001, I2 = 99.2%].

The investigators concluded that high CRP levels are a biomarker for the early detection and monitoring of malaria severity.

Original title:
C-reactive protein as an early biomarker for malaria infection and monitoring of malaria severity: a meta-analysis by Wilairatana P, Mahannop P, […], Kotepui M.

Link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8585865/

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