Estimation of serum neopterin level as an early marker for detecting severe dengue infection.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the role of neopterin in the early assessment of dengue severity in children of age one month to 18 years admitted for fever and confirmed by dengue serology. METHOD: Two sets of samples were collected from 77 confirmed dengue patients aged one month to 18 years for serum neopterin determination. The first sample was collected at 2-3 days of fever onset, and the second sample was collected at 24-36 h after the first sample was collected and followed up cases and correlated serum neopterin levels. RESULTS: Among the 77 patients enrolled, 19 were diagnosed with severe dengue, 15 patients as having dengue with warning signs, and 43 patients as having dengue fever. CONCLUSION: In this study, we found that the serum neopterin levels were significantly higher in the severe dengue category (mean: 58.75(±4.91) nmol/l) than in the non-severe dengue category (mean: 48.11(±8.80) nmol/l). Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between neopterin concentration and duration of fever hence, higher serum neopterin levels may indicate dengue severity. The determination of serum neopterin concentration may be used for the early assessment of severe dengue.

Clinical Significance of Serum and Urinary Neopterin Levels in Some Renal Diseases / 대한신장학회잡지

BACKGROUND: Neopterin is a pyrazino-pyrimidine compound, produced by human monocytes or macrophages primarily upon stimulation with gamma interferon. Neopterin is a marker associated with cell- mediated immunity. The levels of neopterin in body fluids are elevated in allograft rejection, infections, autoimmune diseases, malignancies, cardiac and renal diseases. We hypothesized that the levels of serum and urine neopterin maybe elevated in some renal disease including nephrotic syndrome (NS), chronic renal failure (CRF) and end stage renal disease (ESRD). METHODS: We examnined the serum and urinary neopterin levels in 19 patients with NS underwent renal biopsy, 8 patients with CRF, 64 patients with ESRD undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. Twenty-two healthy controls were enrolled to define the normal range of neopterin levels. Serum and urinary neopterin were measured by radiommunoassay method. We also correlated the levels of serum and urinary neopterin with many clinical parameters such as WBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit, BUN, creatinine, total protein, albumin, triglyceride, iron, total iron binding capacity. RESULTS: The serum neopterin levels elevated in patients with NS (14.1+/-30.9 ng/mL), CRF (28.2+/-19.4 ng/mL) and ESRD (68.6+/-25.5 ng/mL) than control (1.6+/-0.3 ng/mL). Particularly the patients with CRF and ESRD showed statistically significant elevation (p<0.05, p<0.01). The urine neopterin levels elevated in patients with NS (203.2+/-349.6 microgramol/mol creatinine), CRF (319.2+/-107.7 microgramol/mol creatinine) and ESRD (407.9+/-256.9 microgramol/mol creatinine) than control (108.9+/-57.9 microgramol/mol creatinine). Particularly the patients with CRF and ESRD showed statistically significant elevation (p<0.05, p<0.05). The serum neopterin showed significantly positive correlation with serum creatinine levels, inverse correlation with total iron binding capacity and serum triglyceride levels among clinical parameters in all groups (respectively p<0.01). The urine neopterin showed significant inverse correlation with hemoglobin (p< 0.05). CONCIUSION: The serum and urinary neopterin levels elevated in patients with some renal diseases. And also neopterin levels showed clinical correlations with some renal parameters in these patients. We suggest that serum and urinary neopterin levels may be useful marker to predict disease acitivity and prognosis in some renal diseases. They should be confirmed by a prospective study during a long-lasting and in a higher number of patients.

Clinicopathologic Study of Pustular Drug Eruption / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Pustular eruptions due to drugs are uncommonly reported. We studied the characteristics of clinical and histopathologic findings of pustular drug eruption. OBJECTIVE: We observed th.e causative agents, clinical featurs and histopathologic findings of pustular drug eruption and identified differential points of generlized pustular eruption. METHODS: We evaluated t,he clinical and histopathologic findings of 8 patients with pustular drug eruption and reviewed the literatures reported cases of pustular drug eruption. RESULTS: All patients diagnosed pustular drug eruption suffered from generalized pustular eruption associated with systemic symptoms such as fever, headachened myagia one to three days after treatment with causative agents. The causative agents of putular drug eruption are antibiotics such as ceftriaxone, analgesics and antipyretics. The pustule resolved after a few days of treatment with systemic corticosteroids and antihistamines. Laboratory findings revealed leukocytosis, neutrophilia, and analevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, On histopatologic findings, we observed subcorneal pustuls containing neutrophils, eosinophils and some lymphocytes and spongiosis, exocytosis of acute iiflammatory cells. Perivascular infiltration of lymphocyte ancl edema of papillary dermis was also bserved in the dermis. CONCLUSION: Pustular drug eruption is characterized by generalized pustular eruption associated with systemic symptoms and histopathologic findings of that are sterile subcorneal pustules. Therefore differential diagnosis of other generalized pustular erupticns are relatively easy by careful history of medication, clinical and histopathologic findings.

Clinicopathologic Study of Pustular Drug Eruption / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Pustular eruptions due to drugs are uncommonly reported. We studied the characteristics of clinical and histopathologic findings of pustular drug eruption. OBJECTIVE: We observed th.e causative agents, clinical featurs and histopathologic findings of pustular drug eruption and identified differential points of generlized pustular eruption. METHODS: We evaluated t,he clinical and histopathologic findings of 8 patients with pustular drug eruption and reviewed the literatures reported cases of pustular drug eruption. RESULTS: All patients diagnosed pustular drug eruption suffered from generalized pustular eruption associated with systemic symptoms such as fever, headachened myagia one to three days after treatment with causative agents. The causative agents of putular drug eruption are antibiotics such as ceftriaxone, analgesics and antipyretics. The pustule resolved after a few days of treatment with systemic corticosteroids and antihistamines. Laboratory findings revealed leukocytosis, neutrophilia, and analevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, On histopatologic findings, we observed subcorneal pustuls containing neutrophils, eosinophils and some lymphocytes and spongiosis, exocytosis of acute iiflammatory cells. Perivascular infiltration of lymphocyte ancl edema of papillary dermis was also bserved in the dermis. CONCLUSION: Pustular drug eruption is characterized by generalized pustular eruption associated with systemic symptoms and histopathologic findings of that are sterile subcorneal pustules. Therefore differential diagnosis of other generalized pustular erupticns are relatively easy by careful history of medication, clinical and histopathologic findings.