Blood zinc levels and clinical severity of dengue hemorrhagic fever in children
Widagdo
Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health 39(4): 610-616
2008
ISSN/ISBN: 0125-1562 PMID: 19058597 Document Number: 621476
The aims of the study were to investigate the relationship between blood zinc levels and the severity of DHF. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 51 children at Budhi Asih Hospital, Jakarta, from March to May, 2005. Blood zinc levels were measured with a colorimeter using 5-BR-PAPS. The diagnosis and grading of DHF was determined according to WHO criteria. On analyzing the data, z test, ANNOVA, chi-square, linear regression and coefficient of correlation, were applied appropriately with p<=0.05. Forty-five samples were obtained consisting of 15 boys and 30 girls, age 75+or-35 months, body mass index of 15.1+or-3.2, pre-admission fever for 4.4+or-1.6 days, a hematocrit of 38.4+or-5.1%, a thrombocyte count of 77,200+or-32,100/dl, and a zinc level of 6.4+or-6.3 micro mol/l, of with 34 had low and 11 were high zinc level cases (cutoff point: 9.18 micro mol/l). The clinical severity in the low and high zinc groups were not significantly different. The blood zinc level in DHF grade 4 was not significantly lower than in the other three grades (p>0.05). The numbers of lymphocytes in the four grades were significantly different (p<0.01), between the low and high zinc groups (p<0.05). The association between lymphocytes and zinc levels showed a linear regression of Yc: 42.04+1.30X, p<0.05 and a coefficient correlation of r: 0.47. Therefore, no association was found between zinc levels and clinical severity of DHF in children.