Increased level of hepatocyte growth factor in children with dengue virus infection.
BACKGROUND
Evidence of hepatocellular damage is common in dengue-infected individuals. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a key cytokine responsible for liver regeneration, may play a prognostic role in dengue virus infection.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the relationship between serum HGF level and disease severity in patients with dengue virus infection.


METHODS
Serum samples from 27 children [17 dengue fever (DF), ten dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF)] with serologically confirmed dengue virus infection during the febrile, toxic stages and at follow-up were analysed for HGF. Serum samples obtained from nine healthy children served as the control group.


RESULTS
In dengue-infected patients, serum HGF was significantly higher at the febrile and toxic stages than at follow-up (p<0.05). In comparison with DF, patients with DHF had a greater level of HGF at the febrile stage (p<0.05). A cut-off HGF level of 1220 pg/mL obtained during the febrile stage showed a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 53% for predicting clinical progression to DHF (area under the ROC curve 0.75).


CONCLUSIONS
Serum HGF level at the early stage of dengue virus infection is elevated and may be a useful predictor for clinical progression to DHF.
Voraphani
N
N
Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Theamboonlers
A
A
Khongphatthanayothin
A
A
Srisai
C
C
Poovorawan
Y
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D003715:Dengue / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005260:Female; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D015415:Biomarkers; C066855:HGF protein, human; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor