Elevated levels of cell-free circulating DNA in patients with acute dengue virus infection

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 6; no. 10; p. e25969
• Main Authors: Ha, Tran Thi Ngoc, Huy, Nguyen Tien, Murao, Lyre Anni, Lan, Nguyen Thi Phuong, Thuy, Tran Thi, Tuan, Ha Manh, Nga, Cao Thi Phi, Tuong, Vo Van, Dat, Tran Van, Kikuchi, Mihoko, Yasunami, Michio, Morita, Kouichi, Huong, Vu Thi Que, Hirayama, Kenji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 07.10.2011; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adolescent; Analysis; Apoptosis; Bioindicators; Biology; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; Case-Control Studies; Child; Child, Preschool; Children & youth; Circulatory system; Correlation analysis; Demography; Dengue; Dengue - blood; Dengue fever; Dengue hemorrhagic fever; Dengue virus; Dengue Virus - pathogenicity; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Disease; Disease control; Disease prevention; DNA; DNA - blood; Fluorometry; Health aspects; Hospitals; Humans; Illnesses; Infant; Infection; Infections; Laboratories; Logistic Models; Male; Medicine; Multivariate Analysis; Pathogenesis; Patients; Plasma; Preventive medicine; Regression analysis; Vector-borne diseases; Viral diseases; Virology; Viruses; Vietnam; Japan
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025969

Apoptosis is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of severe dengue and the release of cell-free DNA into the circulatory system in several medical conditions. Therefore, we investigated circulating DNA as a potential biomarker for severe dengue. A direct fluorometric degradation assay using PicoGreen was performed to quantify cell-free DNA from patient plasma. Circulating DNA levels were significantly higher in patients with dengue virus infection than with other febrile illnesses and healthy controls. Remarkably, the increase of DNA levels correlated with the severity of dengue. Additionally, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that circulating DNA levels independently correlated with dengue shock syndrome. Circulating DNA levels were increased in dengue patients and correlated with dengue severity. Additional studies are required to show the benefits of this biomarker in early dengue diagnosis and for the prognosis of shock complication.