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. 2020 Aug 13;6(10):FSO620.
doi: 10.2144/fsoa-2020-0075.

Association of hypoalbuminemia and reversal of albumin-to-globulin ratio with morbidity outcome among hospitalized Lassa fever infected patients at a dedicated treatment center in Ondo state, south-western Nigeria

Sampson Omagbemi Owhin  1 , Chukwuyem Abejegah  2 , Olumuyiwa John Fasipe  3 , Clement Oke  2 , Abiodun Abidoye  2 , Austine Osagbaekhoe  2 , Abimbola Awe  2 , Ijeoma Etafo  2 , Evbaruese Iredia  2 , Olufemi Ayodeji  2 , Lanre Olatunde  1 , Olalekan Ojo  1 , Josephine Alabi  4 , Peter Ehizokhale Akhideno  5 , Harrison Ejiyere  5 , Azuka Stephen Adeke  6 , Joachim Azegbeobor  7 , Liasu Ahmed  8
Affiliations

Association of hypoalbuminemia and reversal of albumin-to-globulin ratio with morbidity outcome among hospitalized Lassa fever infected patients at a dedicated treatment center in Ondo state, south-western Nigeria

Sampson Omagbemi Owhin et al. Future Sci OA. .

Abstract

Background: As of this present moment, there is paucity of data on report concerning the association between hypoalbuminaemia or reversal of albumin-to-globulin ratio and morbidity outcome in Lassa fever (LF) infection as a crucial determinant prognostic-predictor factor for treatment-survival outcome.

Aim: This study was designed to determine the association between hypoalbuminaemia, reversal of albumin-to-globulin ratio and morbidity outcome among confirmed LF infected patients.

Methodology: This was a descriptive retrospective study involving the assessment of records of confirmed LF infected patients that were managed at the center from November 2018 to October 2019.

Results: Out of 83 recruited participants with complete records, 66 (79.5%) had hypoalbuminaemia, 74 (89.2%) had reversal of albumin-to-globulin ratio. A higher mean value of total white blood cell (WBC) count was observed among patients with hypoalbuminaemia (p < 0.0001) and reversal of albumin-to-globulin ratio (p < 0.0001) when compared to patients with normal values, respectively. Also, this study showed statistically significant associations between serum albumin level versus total WBC count (p < 0.0001), acute kidney injury (AKI; p = 0.009), bleeding diathesis (p < 0.0001), and occurrence of pregnancy miscarriage (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion: There is a baseline hypoalbuminaemia and reversal of albumin-to-globulin ratio among confirmed LF infected patients. Based on these findings, the serum level of albumin and albumin-to-globulin ratio at presentation may serve as simple early biomarkers to identify patients at high risk for a complicated clinical course of disease. This study also reveals that those hospitalized LF infected patients with hypoalbuminemia and/or reversal of albumin-to-globulin ratio tend to have leucocytosis and experience prolonged duration of illness.

Keywords: Federal Medical Center Owo; Lassa fever infection; Nigeria; hospitalized; hypoalbuminemia; morbidity outcome; reversal of albumin-to-globulin ratio.

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Conflict of interest statement

Financial & competing interests disclosure The authors funded this research with personal funds and are not in any way obliged to any individual or organization in regard to part or the whole of this work. The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

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