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. Ap-value ≤0.05 was considered significant. 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) was 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.