ABSTRACT
Acute renal failure is an important complication of falciparum malaria. Though rhabdomyolysis has been reported in falciparum malaria occasionally, its role in the causation of acute renal failure in malaria has not been investigated. Therefore, we have undertaken this research to study skeletal involvement in malaria and to correlate it to acute renal failure. Material and Methods: Sixty patients of malaria were included in this study. Of them there were 23 (38.3%) patients of cerebral malaria with renal failure (Group A), 15 (25.0%) patients with cerebral malaria without renal failure (Group B), and 22 (36.6%) patients of uncomplicated malaria (Group C). The diagnosis of malaria was done by Giemsa stained peripheral blood smear or QBC. All patients were subjected to detailed investigations. In addition serum creatine kinase (CK) and myoglobin (Mb) levels were estimated. Muscle biopsy was performed in 10 cases and tissue specimens were stained with hematoxylin-eosin stain. Results: The mean serum CK level (IU/L) in Group A, Group B and Group C were 406.8 ± 290.8 IU/L, 127.4 ± 112.1 IU/L, 110.4 ± 99.0 IU/L respectively. The mean serum Mb level (ng/ml) in Group A, Group B and Group C were 344.6 ± 260.1 ng/ml, 103.9 ± 97.0 ng/ml and 45.9 ± 45.4 ng/ml respectively. Serum Mb concentration was significantly high in cerebral malaria with renal failure. Significant correlation had been observed between serum CK and Mb level (r = 0.71 for 60 patents; p = <0.001; 95% Cl = 0.55 to 0.82). Serum CK correlated well with parasitemia (r = 0.56, p<0.001).There was a significant correlation between serum Mb concentration with the simultaneous serum creatinine level (r = 0.46; p value = 0.001). There was significant association observed between muscle injury and renal failure (Chi square =6.72, p = 0.01). There was no evidence of muscle necrosis in any of the biopsy specimens examined. Conclusion: The present study showed that biochemical evidence of muscle injury was found in patients of falciparum malaria with renal failure. Therefore myoglobin may have a pathogenetic role in malarial acute renal failure.