Kinetics of CD4+ T-Lymphocyte in Dengue Virus Infection

Abstract

Cellular immunity plays an important role in viral infection. The activation of effector T-lymphocytes and the release of cytokines define the course of dengue viral infection. CD4⁺ T-lymphocyte induces the immunopathology via various mechanisms; however, its kinetics in different onset of fever and disease severity are not fully understood. This study was conducted to observe the kinetics of CD4+ T-lymphocyte level among dengue infected patients and to obtain the absolute cell count and relative percentage of CD4+ T-lymphocyte. This was a descriptive study on thirty six patients who met the WHO-1997 criteria of dengue infection, hospitalized in Dr. Sardjito Hospital in the period of March to May 2009. The CD4+ T-lymphocytes were examined using the flow cytometer. The significance of median CD4+ T-lymphocytes among days were assessed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney SPSS 11 for Window. The absolute CD4+ T-lymphocyte was significantly different among days (p0.05). The Absolute CD4+ T-lymphocytes count was low in the beginning of the disease course and increased from the 2nd day of fever to the normal level on the 7th day. In conclusion, DF and DHF do not differ in the absolute CD4+ T-lymphocytes count as well as in the relative CD4+ T-lymphocytes percentage.

Keywords

• CD4+ T-lymphocyte
• dengue fever
• dengue hemorrhagic fever
• dengue virus