Alteration in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in dengue patients: analysis of 1,398 cases

Abstract

A study of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate during the first hour (ESR) in dengue patients would help determine how this parameter is affected by this disease, as well as whether it can be used for diagnosis. One thousand, three hundred and ninety-eight cases of dengue attended at the Dengue Treatment Center, Campos dos Goytacazes Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were included. The ESR values were classified as normal or elevated and compared by gender and clinical form of the disease. Among the 1,398 cases ESR was normal in 81.25% (n = 1,136), while in 18.75% (n=262) it was elevated. In 83.92% (n=514) of the male dengue patients ESR was normal, while in 16.08% (n=98) it was elevated. Among female dengue patients, 79.17% (n=622) had normal ESR, and in 20.83% (n=164) ESR was elevated (p=0.05). Among patients with classic dengue, 77.28% (n=961) had normal ESR, while in 22.72% (n=282), it was elevated. Also in 85.81% (n=133) of patients with hemorrhagic dengue, ESR was normal, while in 14.19% (n=22) ESR was elevated (p=0.026). We concluded that ESR was within normal ranges in most dengue cases, independent of gender or clinical presentation. Given the high frequency of normality and the ease of determination of this parameter, ESR data can help in the differential diagnosis of dengue.

Clinical characteristics and laboratory parameters in differentiating dengue from other acute febrile illnesses

“…Our study reports that dengue patients are more likely to have normal ESR, supported by other studies [28,29]. A study by Kalayanarooj et al [30] compare the mean ESR value between dengue hemorrhagic patients (DHF) (10.71 mm/h), other viral infection (20.46 mm/h), bacterial infection (34.81 mm/h), and various illnesses (20.46 mm/h).…”

Dengue virus persists and replicates during storage of platelet and red blood cell units

“…While overwhelming literature supports a direct DENV‐PLT link, there is little to presume a similar pathophysiologic involvement for RBCs, except perhaps the inference from an altered RBC sedimentation rate during DENV disease . Moreover, RBCs contrast PLTs by lacking the requisite translational organelles and, therefore, cannot directly generate protein encoded by the viral RNA genome.…”

Immunocompetent Mice Infected by Two Lineages of Dengue Virus Type 2: Observations on the Pathology of the Lung, Heart and Skeletal Muscle

“…Dengue is an acute febrile disease caused by one of the four DENV serotypes, which cause similar clinical manifestations, although variations in intensity may occur due to the host genetic factors, heterophile immunity and infective strain characteristics [4,29,58]. Most patients are asymptomatic or develop non-severe dengue, presenting mild symptoms such as fever, headache, retro-orbital pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, myalgia, arthralgia and rash [59]. Bleeding manifestations include petechiae, ecchymosis, epistaxis, gingival hemorrhage and metrorrhagia, appearing at the end of the febrile period [60].…”