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Soluble Fas Ligand as a Potential Marker of Severity of Dengue Infection
Nurfadly Zain1, Suhartono Taat Putra2, Umar Zein3
1Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Muhammadiyah University of North Sumatera, Medan, Indonesia.
Background:
The apoptosis of microvascular endothelial cells causes plasma leakage in dengue haemorrhagic fever patients. The soluble Fas ligand is a protein with molecular weight of 40 kDa that acts as a mediator of apoptosis. This study aimed to prove whether soluble Fas ligand can be used as a potential marker to predict the severity of dengue infection by comparing the soluble Fas ligand levels in dengue fever (DF) and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) patients early in the course of illness.
Method:
This was a prospective study. It included 42 dengue patients (22 DF patients and 20 DHF patients) and 20 healthy people as a control group. The soluble Fas ligand was measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Result:
Soluble Fas ligand was increased significantly (P < 0.001) in DHF patients (median = 130.19, IQR = 36.26) compared to DF patients (median = 104.73, IQR = 53.94) and the control group (median = 87.16, IQR = 24.91).
Conclusion:
Soluble Fas ligand can be used as a potential marker to predict the severity of dengue infection in the early course of the illness. However, a larger sample size and further objective studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Insights
Soluble Fas ligand shows potential as an early marker for dengue infection severity. Elevated levels were observed in severe dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) cases compared to dengue fever (DF) and healthy controls.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Microvascular endothelial cell apoptosis contributes to plasma leakage in dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF).
- Soluble Fas ligand (sFasL), a 40 kDa protein, mediates apoptosis and is implicated in disease pathogenesis.
- Differentiating dengue fever (DF) from DHF early is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of soluble Fas ligand as an early predictive marker for dengue infection severity.
- To compare soluble Fas ligand levels between dengue fever (DF) and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) patients.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 42 dengue patients (22 DF, 20 DHF) and 20 healthy controls.
- Soluble Fas ligand concentrations were quantified using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Main Results:
- Significantly higher soluble Fas ligand levels were found in DHF patients (median = 130.19) compared to DF patients (median = 104.73) and controls (median = 87.16).
- The observed difference in sFasL levels was statistically significant (P < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Soluble Fas ligand may serve as a valuable early marker for predicting dengue infection severity.
- Further research with larger cohorts is recommended to validate these findings.
