Dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome: are they tumour necrosis factor-mediated disorders?
A consecutive series of 24 patients with clinical features of primary dengue infection and 22 controls (14 patients with viral fever of unknown origin and 8 healthy subjects) were assayed for serum levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF). The acute sera of the 24 patients with clinical dengue infection were positive for dengue virus-specific IgM antibody. Clinically, 8 had dengue fever (DF), 14 dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) and 2 dengue shock syndrome (DSS). All 16 patients with DHF/DSS had significantly elevated serum TNF levels but the 8 DF patients had TNF levels equivalent to that in the 22 controls. A case is made for augmented TNF production having a role for the pathophysiological changes observed in DHF/DSS and mediator modulation as a possible therapeutic approach to treatment.
Yadav
M
M
Department of Genetics and Cellular Biology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
Kamath
K R
KR
Iyngkaran
N
N
Sinniah
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D003715:Dengue / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha