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Measuring Dengue Virus RNA in the Culture Supernatant of Infected Cells by Real-time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction
Published on: November 1, 2018
Clinical differences among PCR-proven dengue serotype infections
Kriengsak Limkittikul1, Sangchai Yingsakmongkon, Akanitt Jittmittraphap
1Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Summary
This study compared clinical presentations of dengue virus serotypes in Thailand. Dengue virus serotype 2 (DEN2) showed the lowest ratio of severe dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS).
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Epidemiology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Dengue virus (DENV) has four serotypes (DEN1-4), and understanding their clinical spectrum is crucial for disease management.
- Previous studies have indicated variations in clinical severity among DENV serotypes, but data from Thailand requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the clinical manifestations and disease spectrum across different dengue virus serotypes (DEN1-4) in Thai patients.
- To identify potential differences in disease severity and hematological parameters associated with each serotype.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of clinical data from 99 PCR-confirmed dengue-infected patients in Thailand (June-September 2002).
- Dengue serotypes identified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
- Clinical information, including fever duration, bleeding, hepatomegaly, and hematological counts, was analyzed alongside serotype and infection type (primary/secondary).
Main Results:
- Dengue virus serotype 2 (DEN2) was the most prevalent (55%), followed by DEN1 (21%), DEN3 (12%), and DEN4 (12%).
- Dengue fever (DF) was the most common presentation for both primary (77.2%) and secondary (46.7%) infections.
- DEN2 exhibited the lowest ratios of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) to dengue fever (DF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS) to non-DSS cases.
- No significant differences were observed in fever duration, hepatomegaly, or bleeding across serotypes in DF and DHF.
- DEN3 infections showed the highest white blood cell, lymphocyte, and atypical lymphocyte counts, while DEN1 showed the lowest.
Conclusions:
- Clinical presentation of dengue varies among serotypes, with DEN2 potentially associated with less severe disease manifestations.
- Hematological parameters differ across serotypes, suggesting distinct host-pathogen interactions.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the specific pathogenic mechanisms driving these observed clinical differences.
