Introduction/Objective Lack of good predictive biomarkers tied with its widely varying clinical manifestation make DENV infection a major public health concern especially in developing countries like the Philippines. Liver involvement is found to be a common manifestation among severe dengue patients hence enzymes such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST) is used in determining dengue severity. This study aims to evaluate the predictive value of AST/platelet ratio index (APRI) in assessing disease severity among Filipino dengue patients upon admission. Methods/Case Report Clinical data of 16 dengue patients from two hospitals in Pampanga were analyzed retrospectively. Results for NS1 antigen test, CBC, and AST along with signs and symptoms of patients upon admission were reviewed. ANCOVA was used to compare AST and APRI between the groups while ROC regression and Youden’s index were utilized in identifying severe dengue using AST and APRI. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) Among the 16 patients, 10 were male and 6 were females with a mean age of 17.9 years (range, 6 to 34). There was no evidence that AST (p=0.223) significantly differed between severe and non- severe dengue, with a mean of 131.0±24.5 and 78.5±24.5, respectively. Calculated APRI scores (p=0.604) did not show significant difference between SD and NSD, with a mean of 3.8± 4.1 and 3.7±4.1, respectively. The obtained AST cutoff for SD was 119 U/L; while the APRI cutoff for SD is 4.03. However, considering the age of patients as covariate, both AST [AUC = 0.55 (95% CI: 0.15 to 0.86)] and APRI [AUC = 0.69 (95% CI: 0.27 to 1.00)] was not able to differentiate patients with SD and NSD. Conclusion The parameters AST and APRI were not able to differentiate and predict severity between SD and NSD. A larger cohort with a more specific age group, and collection of samples throughout the course of illness are needed to further substantiate the results.
Introduction/Objective Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections have been recognized to be a global phenomenon and are still prevalent in tropical countries, particularly those with low human development index such as the Philippines. Previous literature have reported changes in the hematologic and serum lipid parameters of individuals with STH infections, however, there has yet to be a study in the Philippines regarding the association of said parameters to STH infections. This correlation could be valuable in evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of STH infected patients. Methods/Case Report The study assessed single and multiple helminth infections caused by STH, particularly A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura, and hookworm direct fecal smear (DFS) positive patients and its correlation to hematologic and serum lipid parameters. The researchers followed a retrospective and systematic approach wherein data readily available from DFS positive patients aged 5-19 years old with complete serum lipid profile (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides) and complete blood count (RBC count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCH, MCHC, WBC count, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, monocyte count, eosinophil count, and platelet count) from the tertiary provincial hospital were utilized. Mean and standard deviation were used for the age and hematologic parameters. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey’s HSD was used for post hoc analysis while Fisher exact test was used to compare the percentages among the groups of patients. Statistical tests were performed using RStudio, at 5% level of significance. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) Patients with multiple STH infection have greater risk of lymphopenia than patients with single helminth infection (p=0.053). Moreover, eosinophilia is more observed in patients infected with T. trichiura, hookworm, or with multiple STH infections compared to patients infected with A. lumbricoides alone (p=0.023). Conclusion This study demonstrated significant differences among DFS positive patients with single and multiple STH infections in both serum and hematological profiles.
Introduction/Objective Numerous studies considered Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio (NLR), Platelet-to-Lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and Mean Platelet Volume (MPV) as inflammatory biomarkers in assessing the functional outcomes of Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS) Patients. Presumably, no other study has evaluated all three markers in varying levels of combinations. The study aims to evaluate the predictive potential of specific CBC parameters (Neutrophils, Lymphocytes, and Platelets), their individual ratios (NLR, PLR, and MPV), and their combinations (NLR-PLR, NLR- MPV, PLR-MPV, and PLR-NLR-MPV). Methods/Case Report This retrospective study involved 52 AIS patients from a hospital in Pampanga, Philippines, at least 18 years of age, have no pre-existing conditions and prior treatments/medications. Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score, medical history, age, and gender were gathered. Specific CBC parameters upon admission were analyzed to derive individual ratios. The combined biomarkers, categorized into Levels 2, 1, and 0, indicate high values for all biomarkers involved, high values for any of the biomarkers (one or two high value/s for PLR-NLR-MPV), and no high values for any of the biomarkers, respectively. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) Results showed that elevated NLR (OR=14.5; p=0.021) and MPV (OR=24.1; p=0.047) are risk factors in developing evident poststroke disability (mRS 2-5) and mortality (mRS 6), respectively. Furthermore, level 2 NLR-MPV (OR=77.0; p=0.040) and PLR-MPV (OR=105; p=0.027) are risk factors on mortality. Level 2 PLR-NLR (OR=15.0; p=0.021) and level 1 NLR-MPV (OR=13.5; p=0.024) are risk factors in developing evident poststroke disability. Lastly, levels 1 (OR=13.5; p=0.024) and 2 (OR=77.0; p=0.040) PLR-NLR-MPV are risk factors in developing evident poststroke disability and mortality, respectively. Conclusion Patients with neutrophilia, elevated NLR, level 2 PLR-NLR, and level 1 NLR-MPV and PLR-NLR-MPV are more likely to develop evident poststroke disability; while patients with elevated MPV and Level 2 NLR-MPV, PLR- MPV, and PLR-NLR-MPV pose higher mortality risk. Greater sample size is recommended for studies with the same purpose to advance research for better AIS outcomes.
Introduction/Objective Multiple blood transfusion is a therapeutic treatment for patients with hematologic disorders. However, patients who undergo repeated blood transfusions are at higher risk of developing red blood cell alloimmunization. This may further delay the availability of compatible blood and pose a higher risk for hemolytic transfusion reactions. Methods/Case Report A total of 55 patients, with an age range of 2-19 years, were included in the study. All patients had hematologic disorders and underwent chronic blood transfusion. In this retrospective study, Student’s t-test and Fisher’s exact tests were used to compare the means and percentages, respectively, under 5% level of significance. R ver 4.0.3 was utilized in the analyses. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) Out of the 55 pediatric patients, 10 (18.2%; CI95%: 9.1 to 30.9%) were found to be alloimmunized. Two patients had multiple antibodies whereas the others had one specificity, having a total of 12 detected alloantibodies. The most prevalent alloantibody was anti-E (60%), followed by anti-Jka (20%), anti-Mia (20%), anti-S (10%), and anti-K (10%). All obtained alloantibodies showed no correlation (p>0.05) with the age group of the patients. Subsequently, it was not evident that average blood transfusion (p=0.949) and packed red blood cells transfused per year (p=0.782) significantly differ between alloimmunized and non-alloimmunized patients. Similarly, there was no sufficient evidence that the age group (p=0.723), sex (p=1.000), blood group (p=1.000) and hematologic disorder (p=0.949) were associated with their alloimmunization status. Conclusion The alloimmunization incidence rate of 18.2% in this study was higher compared to related literatures, and most of the detected alloantibodies were of IgG type which are commonly clinically significant. The study showed no significant correlation between the specific risk factors and the development of alloimmunization. For patient care, it is imperative to include precautions such as extended RBC phenotyping and provision of antigen matched RBCs to prevent unnecessary transfusion reactions caused by alloimmunization.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.