Study of Correlation Between Platelet Count and Serological Markers of Dengue Infection with Importance of NS1 Antigen in Western Region of India

Abstract

Introduction: Dengue virus infection has emerged as a notable public health problem in recent decades in terms of the mortality and morbidity associated with it. Dengue has become endemic in India with outbreaks occurring almost every year. Aim: This study is to correlate the clinical marker like platelet count and serological markers like IgM and NS1 in the acute stage of dengue infection Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of conducted in the Government Hospital, Jamnagar, India, the primary health care centres and the community health care centres, which were covered under the district Jamnagar, all clinically suspected cases of dengue, reported to various outpatient departments, emergency services and admitted patients in our Hospital, were included for this study, between the period of September 2013 to December 2013 over duration of 4 months. Samples from clinically suspected dengue cases were collected and tested for NS1 and IgM by ELISA depending on days of fever. Platelet counts were obtained from all positive cases. In all positive cases dengue specific parameters like NS1 and IgM were compared against platelet counts. Statistical Analysis: The Chi-Square test and statistical software Epi info and MS excel was used to find out the statistical significance of the estimate. Results: Of 1628 samples tested, 563 were positive for one or more dengue parameters. Of the 563, 363 were positive for NS1 only, 200 were positive for IgM only, Thrombocytopenia was more consistently associated whenever IgM was detected compared to NS1 detection. Conclusion: Inclusion of NS1 in the diagnosis of dengue increases the early diagnosis so as to avoid complications significantly. In confirmed dengue cases with fever, thrombocytopenia is more consistently found whenever IgM is positive compared to NS1 positive and can be used as predictor to reduce the morbidity and moratlity of dengue disease.

Keywords

• dengue fever
• elisa
• igm
• thrombocytopenia