Thrombocytopenia associates with the severity of inflammation and variables reflecting capillary leakage in Puumala Hantavirus infection, an analysis of 546 Finnish patients.
BACKGROUND
Hantaviruses cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) in humans. Hantavirus infections are characterized by thrombocytopenia. Our objective was to assess the association of thrombocytopenia with disease severity in HFRS induced by Puumala hantavirus (PUUV).


METHODS
Altogether 546 patients treated for acute serologically confirmed PUUV infection during 1982-2013 at Tampere University Hospital, Finland, were examined. Blood platelet count was determined daily and analysed in relation to different variables reflecting disease severity. The patients were divided into two groups according to the minimum platelet count: severe thrombocytopenia (<69 × 10(9)/L, i.e. below median) and no severe thrombocytopenia (≥69 × 10(9)/L).


RESULTS
Thrombocytopenia (platelet count <150 × 10(9)/L) was detected in 90% of patients, and in 28% of patients platelet count was <50 × 10(9)/L. Patients with severe thrombocytopenia had longer stay (8 versus 7 days, p = 0.002) and greater weight gain (2.8 versus 2.0 kg, p < 0.001) at the hospital, higher blood leukocyte count (11.2 × 10(9)/L versus 9.6 × 10(9)/L, p < 0.001), plasma C-reactive protein (81 versus 59 mg/L, p < 0.001), maximum hematocrit (0.44 versus 0.42, p < 0.001), urinary protein excretion (1.7 versus 1.1 g/24 h, p = 0.002), and lower plasma albumin concentration (27 versus 32 g/L, p < 0.001) than patients without severe thrombocytopenia (comparisons between medians). Maximum creatinine concentration did not differ between patients with or without severe thrombocytopenia (median 235 versus 214 μmol/L, p = 0.217).


CONCLUSIONS
The severity of thrombocytopenia associates with the degree of inflammation and variables reflecting capillary leakage, but not with the severity of acute kidney injury in PUUV infected Finnish patients.
a Department of Internal Medicine , Tampere University Hospital , Tampere , Finland ;
Tuula K
TK
Outinen
a Department of Internal Medicine , Tampere University Hospital , Tampere , Finland ;|b School of Medicine , University of Tampere , Tampere , Finland ;
Outi K
OK
Laine
a Department of Internal Medicine , Tampere University Hospital , Tampere , Finland ;|b School of Medicine , University of Tampere , Tampere , Finland ;
Satu
S
Mäkelä
a Department of Internal Medicine , Tampere University Hospital , Tampere , Finland ;|b School of Medicine , University of Tampere , Tampere , Finland ;
Ilkka
I
Pörsti
c School of Health Sciences , University of Tampere , Tampere , Finland ;
Heini
H
Huhtala
d Department of Virology, Medicum, Faculty of Medicine , University of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland.
Antti
A
Vaheri
a Department of Internal Medicine , Tampere University Hospital , Tampere , Finland ;|b School of Medicine , University of Tampere , Tampere , Finland ;
Jukka
J
Mustonen
D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006480:Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029262:Puumala virus; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
AKI; Acute kidney injury; Hantavirus; Puumala virus; thrombocytopenia