Table 4.
ESR in patients with malaria compared to non-malarial controls. Clinical classification (severe, uncomplicated, or non-specified) was reported in a subset of the included studies
| No. | Authors | Year of study conduction | Study location | Plasmodium spp. | Age group | Clinical malaria (severe, uncomplicated, mild)* | ESR in patients with malaria |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albiti et al. (2014) [34] | 2008–2009 | Yemen | P. falciparum | < 14 years | Uncomplicated malaria | ESR was significantly increased in malaria as compared with non-malarial controls. |
| 2 | Auta et al. (2016) [20] | Not specified | Nigeria | Not specified | 0 to more than 36 years | Not reported | No significant difference in ESR between malaria and non-malarial controls. |
| 3 | Boampong et al. (2010) [21] | 2008–2009 | Ghana | P. falciparum | Male: 5 to 64 years; female: 5 to 68 years | Not reported | No significant difference in ESR between malaria and non-malarial controls. |
| 4 | Chidoka et al. (2013) [35] | 2011 | Nigeria | P. falciparum | 11–31 | Uncomplicated malaria | ESR was significantly increased in malaria as compared with non-malarial controls. |
| 5 | Chukwuocha et al. (2010) [36] | Not specified | Nigeria | Not specified | Malaria (29), controls (163): 11–60 years | Not reported | ESR was significantly increased in malaria as compared with non-malarial controls. |
| 6 | Ebuehi et al. (2009) [37] | Not specified | Nigeria | P. falciparum | Not specified | Severe malaria | ESR was significantly increased in malaria as compared with non-malarial controls. |
| 7 | Ekanem et al. (2018) [38] | Not specified | Nigeria | Not specified | 6–60 months | Not reported | (1) ESR was significantly increased in malaria as compared with non-malarial controls. (2) No significant difference in ESR between malaria alone and with septicemia. |
| 8 | Eledo et al. (2018) [39] | Not specified | Nigeria | Not specified | 18–45 years | Not reported | ESR was significantly increased in malaria as compared with non-malarial controls. |
| 9 | Eriksson et al. (1989) [40] | 1975–1986 | Not specified | P. falciparum (86), P. vivax (111). P. ovale (50), P. malariae (1), mixed infections (10), controls (120) | 1–78 years | Not reported | No significant difference in ESR between malaria and non-malarial controls. |
| 10 | Farooq et al., (2018) [41] | 2017–2018 | Pakistan | Not specified | Not specified | Not reported | ESR was significantly increased in malaria as compared with non-malarial controls. |
| 11 | Francis et al. (2014) [42] | Not specified | Nigeria | Not specified | 5–70 years | Not reported | ESR was significantly increased in malaria as compared with non-malarial controls. |
| 12 | Hussain et al. (2013) [43] | 2008–2009 | India | P. falciparum (52), P. vivax (42), mixed infection (12) | 2–58 years | Not reported | ESR was significantly increased in malaria as compared with non-malarial controls. |
| 13 | Karunaweera et al. (1998) [44] | Not specified | Sri Lanka | P. vivax | 13–69 years | Uncomplicated malaria | ESR was significantly increased in malaria as compared with non-malarial controls. |
| 14 | Kumar et al. (2017) [45] | 2012–2014 | India | P. vivax | ≥ 18 years | Severe malaria | ESR was significantly increased in severe malaria as compared with non-severe malaria. |
| 15 | Mathews et al. (2019) [46] | 2013–2015 | India | P. vivax | > 12 years | Severe and non-severe malaria | ESR was significantly increased in severe malaria as compared with non-severe malaria. |
| 16 | Roy et al. (2024) [47] | 2018–2019 | India | P. falciparum | 14–78 years | Severe and non-severe malaria | ESR was significantly increased in severe malaria as compared with non-severe malaria. |
| 17 | Sambo et al. (2020) [48] | Not specified | Nigeria | P. falciparum | Not specified | Not reported | ESR was significantly increased in malaria as compared with non-malarial controls. |
| 18 | Teddy Charles et al. (2013) [49] | 2013 | Nigeria | P. falciparum | 18–59 years | Not reported | ESR was significantly increased in malaria as compared with non-malarial controls. |
| 19 | Vemula et al., 2016 [15] | Not specified | India | P. falciparum (15), P. vivax (86), mixed infection (21) | Not specified | Severe and non-severe malaria | ESR was significantly increased in severe malaria as compared with non-severe malaria. |
ESR Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
*Not reported in the “Clinical malaria” column indicates that the original study did not report malaria severity classification