A PROSPECTIVE STUDY ON VARIOUS SEROLOGICAL MARKERS AND PLATELET COUNT IN DENGUE INFECTION IN AND AROUND KANCHEEPURAM.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Dengue is an acute viral infection with potential fatal complications, presenting with non-specic fever that mimics other febrile illness. Specic antibody detection has been the mainstay of diagnosis which is prone for false positive and negative reactions. The newer parameter NS1 appears to be highly specic and reliable for diagnosis. Therefore, we tried to evaluate the association of platelet counts against NS1 and IgM / IgG in dengue infections. OBJECTIVE: To study the association of thrombocytopenia with NS1 antigen and specic antibodies in dengue infection in kancheepuram population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum samples from clinically suspected dengue cases were tested for NS1,IgM,IgG by immunochromatography – based test. Platelet counts were obtained from all positive cases. Test results of dengue-specic parameters and platelet counts were compared. RESULTS: Of the 612 samples tested, 150 were positive for one or more dengue serological markers. Of the 150, 27(18%) were positive for NS1only, 45(30%)were positive for IgM, 54(36%) were positive for IgG only. Of the 150, 39(26%) showed platelet count less than 1 lakh. CONCLUSION: Inclusion of NS1 in the diagnosis of dengue increases the detection and specicity rate. Thus correlation of platelet count, NS1,IgM and ,IgG gives detailed picture of the stage and prognosis of the disease