Interleukin-10 as a marker of disease progression in Dengue hemorrhagic fever

Objective: To evaluate the plasma interleukin-10 [IL-10] levels in patients suffering from dengue hemorrhagic fever between 4 to 7 days of onset of disease and 24 hours after the first sample, to find out the association of plasma IL-10 levels with the outcome. Study Design: Analytical study. Place and Duration of Study: All major hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan, from August to November 2012

Methodology: Participants included 50 registered patients of dengue hemorrhagic fever [DHF] aged between 15 - 50 years. Plasma IL-10 concentrations were measured on above stated day. Outcome was described as recovery and shock. Platelet count and hematocrit percentages were also recorded. Statistical analyses were done using SPSS version 19. A p-value

Results: Plasma IL-10 levels were found to be raised in DHF patients and were associated with fatal outcome [p=0.004]. In recovered DHF patients, plasma IL-10 levels decreased after 24 hours [mean 26.54 +/- 16.03 pg/ml] as compared to admission time [mean 74.39 +/- 61.69 pg/ml] but in case of DHF patients suffering from shock, plasma IL-10 was found to be higher after 24 hours [mean 87.69 +/- 7.77 pg/ml] as compared to levels at admission time [mean 42.56 +/- 28.09 pg/ml]. ROC curve analysis revealed a change [30 units pg/ml] of plasma IL-10 concentration, within 24 hours of admission, raised from the base line to be 105 times more critical for shock in DHF patients [100% sensitivity and 71.4% specificity, p < 0.001]

Conclusion: Elevated plasma IL-10 is a potential predictor of disease severity and fatal outcome in DHF patients

Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D level in preeclamptic and normotensive pregnancies

Objective: to compare serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D level between preeclamptic and normotensive pregnancies

Study Design: cross-sectional analytical study

Place and Duration of Study: department of Physiology, Federal Postgraduate Medical Institute, Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, in collaboration with Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Lady Willingdon Hospital, Lahore, from March 2012 to April 2012

Methodology: thirty registered preeclamptic patients with systolic and diastolic blood pressure > 140/90 mm Hg on more than two occasions, 6 hours apart, and proteinuria at least 300 mg in 24-hour urine collection; and 30 normotensive uncomplicated pregnant women matched for age, gestational age, parity and BMI were included by convenient sampling technique. Vitamin D levels of less than 50 n mol/l [< 20 ng/ml] were the cutoff point. Spearman's rank correlation of vitamin D with systolic blood pressure and arterial pressure in both preeclamptic and normotensive pregnant women was presented in a tabulated form

Results: vitamin D deficiency was found in 95% of preeclamptic and normotensive pregnant women. The difference of vitamin D level between the two groups was not found significant. Although there was an inverse correlation between serum vitamin D and systolic blood pressure and arterial pressure in preeclamptic group, but this was not statistically significant

Conclusion: vitamin D deficiency does not seem to be affected by the state of preeclamptic and normotensive pregnancy. The correlation of systolic blood pressure and arterial pressure and vitamin D needs to be explored further by increasing the sample size