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Table 1 Main epidemiological, clinical and analytical variables comparing the two treatment groups: artemether–lumefantrine (AL) and quinine-doxycycline (QD)

From: Artemether-lumefantrine and liver enzyme abnormalities in non-severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria in returned travellers: a retrospective comparative study with quinine-doxycycline in a Portuguese centre

Characteristic

Total

(n = 57)

AL group

(n = 19)

QD group

(n = 38)

p value

Demographics

 Male gender (n, %)

51 (89%)

18 (95%)

33 (87%)

0.65a

 Age (mean in years, SD)

41.2 (9.7%)

40 (10)

42 (10)

0.63b

 Portuguese nationality (n, %)

49 (86%)

18 (95%)

31 (81%)

0.25c

Country of malaria acquisition

   

0.48c

 Angola (n, %)

37 (65%)

11 (58%)

26 (68%)

 

 Mozambique (n, %)

7 (12.3%)

2 (11%)

5 (13%)

 

 Other (n, %)

13 (22.8%)

6 (31.6)

7 (18.4%)

 

 Past history of malaria (n, %)

23 (49.3%)

5 (26%)

18 (47%)

0.16c

Parasitaemia

 Initial parasitaemia (n, %) (median, IQR)

1.0 (1.5)

0.5 (0.9)

1.0 (1.5)

0.03 d

 Days until symptoms resolution (median, IQR)

2 (2)

2 (1)

2 (2)

0.89d

 Days until no parasitaemia (median, IQR)

2 (2)

2 (2)

3 (3)

0.09d

Liver panele

 At diagnosis

  Initial AST (median, IQR)

44 (29.5)

46 (41)

42 (26)

0.99d

  Initial ALT (median,IQR)

41 (52)

32 (52)

44 (53)

0.50d

  Initial GGT (median, IQR)

51 (91)

48 (100)

52 (87)

0.84d

  Initial AP (median, IQR)

67 (32.5)

77 (32)

60 (30)

0.13d

  Initial total bilirubin (median, IQR)

1.2 (0.7)

1.2 (0.7)

1.2 (0.7)

0.53d

  Initial aPTT (median, IQR)

34.8 (5.9)

33 (5)

34 (7)

0.45d

During treatment

 Highest AST (median, IQR)

64 (83)

131 (278)

58 (50)

<0.01 d

  Number of days until highest value (median, IQR)

2 (4)

3 (3)

1 (5)

0.43d

 Highest ALT (median, IQR)

83 (88.5)

99 (297)

75 (72)

0.05 d

  Number of days until highest value (median, IQR)

3 (4)

3 (2)

2.5 (4)

0.77d

 Highest GGT (median, IQR)

72.5 (108)

93 (160)

66 (99)

0.16d

 Highest AP (median, IQR)

71 (30)

84 (63)

70 (31)

0.07d

 Highest total bilirubin (median, IQR)

1.6 (1.3)

1.6 (1.4)

1.5 (1.3)

0.85d

 Highest aPTT (median, IQR)

34.8 (6.2)

38 (6)

34 (5)

0.06d

Outcomes

 Asymptomatic liver dysfunction (n, %)

10 (17.5%)

8 (42%)

2 (5%)

<0.01 c

 Symptomatic liver dysfunction (n,%)

0

0

0

–

 Death (n, %)

0

0

0

–

  1. Bold indicates significant values at p ≤ 0.05
  2. aPearson Chi square
  3. bIndependent t test
  4. cFisher’s exact test
  5. dMann–Whitney U test
  6. eReference laboratory laboratories: AST 10–37 U/L; ALT 10–37 U/L; GGT 10–49 U/L; AP 30–120 U/L; total bilirubin <1.2 mg/dL; aPTT 24.2–36.4 s
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Malaria Journal

ISSN: 1475-2875

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