title: Serum nitrite levels in Sri Lankan patients with leptospirosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether blood nitrite levels are elevated in patients with leptospirosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male patients fulfilling clinical and epidemiological criteria for a diagnosis of leptospirosis were recruited. Those with MAT titre of ≤400 together with those seroconverting to a titer of ≤200 were included in the analysis. Serum nitrite levels were measured in these patients and age, sex matched healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients from 3 hospitals (n=75) were screened during a 3 month period from 28th June to 3rd September 2009, of whom 20 were eligible for the study. Serum nitrite levels were found to be significantly higher in patients with acute leptospirosis [n=20, (0.359±0.229)μ M] compared to controls [(n=13,(0.216±0.051)μ M](P=0.014). A significant correlation was also observed between the MAT titre and the day of illness (r = 0.547; P<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum nitrite levels are higher in patients with acute leptospirosis compared to age and sex matched controls. No correlation could be assessed with severity of illness, as sample size was inadequate to determine this.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Rohini I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Gunaratna
authors.forename: Shiroma M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Handunnetti
authors.forename: M R C
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bulathsinghalage
authors.forename: Pranitha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Somaratne
authors.forename: Ananda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jayanaga
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: de Silva
authors.forename: Senaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rajapakse
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009573:Nitrites / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009573:Nitrites