title: Blood zinc levels and clinical severity of dengue hemorrhagic fever in children.
abstract: The aims of the study were to investigate the relationship between blood zinc levels and the severity of DHF. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 51 children at Budhi Asih Hospital, Jakarta, from March to May, 2005. Blood zinc levels were measured with a colorimeter using 5-BR-PAPS. The diagnosis and grading of DHF was determined according to WHO criteria. On analyzing the data, z test, ANNOVA, chi-square, linear regression and coefficient of correlation, were applied appropriately with p < or = 0.05. Forty-five samples were obtained consisting of 15 boys and 30 girls, age 75 +/- 35 months, body mass index of 15.1 +/- 3.2, pre-admission fever for 4.4 +/- 1.6 days, a hematocrit of 38.4 +/- 5.1%, a thrombocyte count of 77,200 +/- 32,100/dl, and a zinc level of 6.4 +/- 6.3 micromol/l, of with 34 had low and 11 were high zinc level cases (cutoff point: 9.18 micromol/l). The clinical severity in the low and high zinc groups were not significantly different. The blood zinc level in DHF grade 4 was not significantly lower than in the other three grades (p>0.05). The numbers of lymphocytes in the four grades were significantly different (p<0.01), between the low and high zinc groups (p<0.05). The association between lymphocytes and zinc levels showed a linear regression of Yc: 42.04+1.30X, p<0.05 and a coefficient correlation of r: 0.47. Therefore, no association was found between zinc levels and clinical severity of DHF in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, Trisakti University, 140 Kiyai Tapa, Grogol, Jakarta 11440, Indonesia. widiant@centrin.net.id
authors.lastname: Widagdo
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006452:Hemoglobinometry; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D019595:Severe Dengue / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015032:Zinc