Increased Erythrocyte Osmotic Fragility and Serum Interleukin Eight Titers are Hallmarks of Patients with Dengue Virus Infection

Abstract

To investigate serum IFN-γ and IL8 titers, osmotic fragility and membrane cholesterol, and protein composition of erythrocytes of dengue fever patients. Seventy seven confirmed dengue patients along with 69 patients with other febrile infection (OFI) and 77 healthy controls (HC) were included in the study. The osmotic fragility of red blood cells was monitored using different concentrations of sodium chloride. The quantification of serum IFN-γ and IL-8 was carried out using commercial ELISA kits at baseline (early phase) and after 7 days of the infection (late phase). The levels of cholesterol and total protein were assessed in red blood cell membrane. Statistical analysis was performed using statistical software. Significant differences were found between erythrocyte mean corpuscular fragility (MCF) of dengue patients vs. healthy control (p < 0.001). Considerable correlation (r = 0.8949, p < 0.0001) was established between cholesterol to protein ratio of erythrocyte membrane vs. MCF values. Significant differences in serum IFN-γ and IL-8 titers of dengue patients were obtained at early and late phase of the infection. A significant positive correlation had also been established between erythrocyte MCF values and serum IL-8 titers of dengue patients (p < 0.0001, r = 0.9288). Mean corpuscular fragility and serum IL-8 titers are important clinical laboratory parameters for monitoring dengue infection progression.

Keywords: dengue fever, erythrocytes, interferon-γ, interleukin-8, osmotic fragility.