SERUM FERRITIN LEVELS IN CHILDREN WITH DENGUE INFECTION

• Published in: Southeast Asian journal of tropical medicine and public health Vol. 39; no. 5; pp. 832 - 836
• Main Authors: CHAIYARATANA, Wathanee, CHUANSUMRIT, Ampaiwan, ATAMASIRIKUL, Kalayanee, TANGNARARATCHAKIT, Kanchana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bangkok Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization, Regional Tropical Medicine and Public Health Network 01.09.2008; Central Coordinating Board, SEAMEO-TROPMED Project
• Subjects: Adolescent; Arboviroses; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Child; Child, Preschool; Dengue - blood; Dengue fevers; Female; Ferritins - blood; General aspects; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Risk Assessment; Sensitivity and Specificity; Severe Dengue - blood; Tropical viral diseases; Viral diseases; Human; Infection; Viral disease; Dengue; Arbovirus disease; Ferritin; Tropical medicine; Serum; Child
• ISSN: 0125-1562

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels of ferritin, an acute-phase reactant, in predicting the risk of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) in patients with dengue infection. One hundred seventy-seven Thai children (100 males, 77 females) 4-16 years old (median age 11 years) with DF (n = 44) and DHF (n = 133) were enrolled in the study. All patients had serologic confirmation of dengue infection. Each had a venous blood sample drawn daily during hospitalization and at the outpatient clinic 2-4 weeks after discharge from the hospital, to determine serum ferritin levels. The median serum ferritin levels (ng/ml) in children with DHF (Day 2, 974; Day 3, 624; Day 4, 1,136; Day 5, 1,912; Day 6, 2, 105; Day 7, 1,840; Day 8, 1,478 and Day 9, 1,144 of illness) were higher than those with DF (Day 2, 25.4; Day 3, 45.6; Day 4, 655; Day 5, 1,050; Day 6, 1,075; Day 7, 615; Day 8, 764 and Day 9, 600 of illness) with p-values of 0.013, 0.001 and 0.013 on Days 5, 6 and 7 of illness, respectively. A cutoff level of serum ferritin of 1,200 ng/ml was used to calculate sensitivity and specificity for DHF. The results reveal the sensitivities on Days 5, 6 and 7 of illness were 81.5, 84.4 and 89.9%, respectively, and the specificities were 42.4, 39.0 and 36.4%, respectively. High serum ferritin levels > or = 1,200 ng/ml may be a predictor of dengue hemorrhagic fever.