Blood zinc levels and clinical severity of dengue hemorrhagic fever in children.

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 < or = 0.05. Forty-five samples were obtained consisting of 15 boys and 30 girls, age 75 +/- 35 months, body mass index of 15.1 +/- 3.2, pre-admission fever for 4.4 +/- 1.6 days, a hematocrit of 38.4 +/- 5.1%, a thrombocyte count of 77,200 +/- 32,100/dl, and a zinc level of 6.4 +/- 6.3 micromol/l, of with 34 had low and 11 were high zinc level cases (cutoff point: 9.18 micromol/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.