Haematological and Inflammatory-Associated Cytokine Profiles of Gastrointestinal Parasite-Infected Individuals in The Ahafo Region of Ghana

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Clinical Microbiology, SMS, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

2 Bolgatanga Technical University, Upper East Region, Bolgatanga, Ghana.

3 West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana, Legon, Greater Accra, Ghana.

4 Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, SMS, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

10.21608/eajbsg.2025.434967

Abstract

Background: The Ahafo region of Ghana, an intestinal parasites endemic community where the primary approach for control involves annual deworming, lacks haematological and immunological epidemiological investigations. This study aimed to investigate the haematiological and immunological profiles of individuals hosting intestinal parasitic infections in the Ahafo region. Methods: This was a single-centre case-control cross-sectional study with convenience sampling among 200 individuals, 100 intestinal parasites infected and 100 non-infected controls. We gathered demographic and epidemiological details via a survey, identified intestinal parasites using formol-ether concentration method and collected blood samples to analyze haematological immunological indices. Results: A significantly higher intestinal parasite infection rates were observed among male participants than female participants. Our study revealed abnormally low levels of eosinophils, monocytes, neutrophils lymphocytes, RBCs and haemoglobin among individuals in the Ahafo region. The average IFN-γ levels in the plasma of individuals with intestinal parasites infection and the non-infected controls were (95.44 ± 51.435 ρg/mL) and (103.20 ± 67.77 ρg/mL), respectively with p-value=0.588. However, the mean TNF-α plasma level (1355.68 ± 541.54 ρg/mL) of intestinal parasites infected participants was significantly higher as compared to the non-infected controls (1570.57 ± 511.87 ρg/mL) (p-value < 0.001). Furthermore, the mean levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 (215.89 ± 126.16 ρg/mL) among intestinal parasites infected participants was higher as compared to that of the controls (215.89 ± 126.16 ρg/mL) (p-value < 0.001). Conclusions: The study revealed increased IL-10 levels and reduced TNF-α and IFN-γ levels in parasite-infected participants as compared to uninfected controls. Our study underscored the need for critical public health interventions to address the immunological and haematological alterations in intestinal parasites endemic populations.

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