Table 1 Characteristics of the study population

Demographic data

Age (months)

28 (16, 39)

29 (15, 38)

-

-

Males, n (%)

42 (63)

42 (63)

-

-

Physical findings

Temperature (°C)

38.6 (37.9, 39.2)

38 (36.4, 39.5)

0.3 (−0.7, 2.2)

0.227

Weight (kg)

11.1 (8.9, 13)

10.9 (9.6, 12.8)

0 (−1.6, 1.2)

1.000

Malnutrition, n (%)

5 (8)

2 (3)

4 (6)

0.453

Oral candidiasis, n (%)

1 (1)

1 (1)

2 (3)

1.000

Hepatomegaly, n (%)

13 (19)

2 (3)

13 (19)

0.005

Splenomegaly, n (%)

35 (52)

12 (18)

35 (52)

<0.001

N° of days with symptoms^b

1 (1, 3)

1 (1, 2)

0 (0, 1)

0.192

Laboratory parameters

Parasitaemia by qPCR, (×10³/μL)

34.2 (7.5, 151.3)

13.3 (1.7, 51.6)

2.1 (−1.0, 21.8)

0.087

Parasitaemia by microscopy, (×10³/μL)

40.4 (17.3, 99.3)

34.7 (11.5, 71.3)

12.9 (−10.3, 58.3)

0.036

Multiplicity of infection

3 (2, 4)

3 (3, 4)

0 (−1, 2)

0.070

Packed cell volume (%)

26 (16, 31)

31 (28, 34)

−6 (−15, 0)

<0.001

Platelets (×10⁹/L)

117 (70, 185)

145 (92, 192)

−38 (−110, 43)

0.043

Glucose (mM)

5.8 (4.6, 7)

5.8 (5.3, 6.9)

−0.1 (−1.6, 1.2)

0.702

White blood cells (×10⁹/L)

10 (6.8, 12.7)

9.1 (7.2, 11.5)

0.7 (−2.8, 3.5)

0.110

Lymphocytes (%)

35.5 (24.7, 46)

40.6 (30.2, 50.8)

−7.6 (−19.0, 9.1)

0.008

Neutrophils (%)

56.9 (42.9, 67.1)

53.7 (36.9, 65.3)

5.8 (−5.1, 10.2)

0.043

Creatinin (U/L)

34 (30, 38)

34 (30, 39)

−1 (−6, 6)

0.470

Bilirubin (μM)

24 (14, 37)

13 (10, 21)

10 (−1, 23)

<0.001

ALT^c (U/L)

31.5 (19, 39)

28 (1, 36)

4 (−11, 15)

0.376

Lactate (mM)

3.8 (2.3, 5.1)

2.3 (1.9, 3.2)

1.0 (−0.3, 2.4)

0.001

SM symptoms

Prostration, n (%)

50 (75)

ARD ^c, n (%)

34 (51)

Severe anaemia, n (%)

22 (33)

Multiple seizures, n (%)

19 (28)

Hypoglycaemia, n (%)

5 (8)

Cerebral malaria, n (%)

3 (5)

N° of SM symptoms, n (%):

One

23 (34)

Two

27 (40)

≥ three

17 (25)