Vol. 11, Issue 2, Part A (2024)

Introduction: Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne viral infection, presents with varying clinical manifestations that can progress to severe outcomes. Recent studies suggest alterations in plasma lipid profiles may predict disease severity, yet the mechanisms and prognostic value of these changes remain unclear. Aim of the present study was to investigate changes in plasma lipid profiles during dengue infection and assess their potential as predictive biomarkers for disease severity and clinical outcomes.

Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study included 150 confirmed cases of dengue fever from the Department of General Medicine at a tertiary care hospital. Plasma lipid profiles (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, VLDL cholesterol, and triglycerides) were measured in the acute phase and convalescent phase. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were analyzed, and their associations with lipid profile changes and disease severity were evaluated.

Results: Significant increases in total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides were observed from the acute to the convalescent phase (p-values: 0.001, < 0.001, 0.002, and 0.01, respectively). VLDL cholesterol also showed an upward trend (p=0.05). Patients with more severe forms of dengue (DHF, DSS) exhibited more pronounced lipid alterations. Baseline characteristics indicated a median age of 35 years, with a slight male predominance (60%) and a majority presenting without comorbid conditions (80%).

Conclusions: Plasma lipid profile alterations during dengue infection correlate with disease severity, suggesting their potential utility as biomarkers for predicting clinical outcomes. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms driving these changes and to validate their prognostic value, which could lead to improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for dengue fever management.