Malaria parasite density and the level of copper in pregnant women in nnewi (south east nigeria)

Malaria during pregnancy continues to be a major health problem in endemic countries with clinical consequences including death of both mother and child and attendant derangement in trace elements. This study is aimed at evaluating the relationship between the trace element copper and malaria density in pregnant women with malaria. The patients are pregnant women attending ante natal clinic of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi, Anambra, South East, Nigeria. The controls are pregnant women without malaria, non-pregnant women with malaria and non-pregnant women without malaria. The concentration of copper was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry while the malaria density was determined by counting the parasites against white cells. From results, copper showed a significant increase in pregnant women with malaria 13.63±6.22µmol/L compared to pregnant women without malaria 12.49±3.62µmol/L, non-pregnant women with malaria 7.29±2.83µmol/L and non-pregnant women without malaria 5.26±1.41µmol/L (F=102.6; p<0.05). Copper has a moderate negative correlation with parasite density (r=0.32; p=0.003).