Oxidative damage in dengue fever

Oxidative stress may be important in the pathogenesis of dengue infection. Using accurate markers of oxidative damage, we assessed the extent of oxidative damage in dengue patients. The levels of hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid products (HETEs), F2-isoprostanes (F2-IsoPs), and cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) were measured in 28 adult dengue patients and 28 age-matched study controls during the febrile, defervescent, and convalescent stages of infection. We compared the absolute and the percentage change in these markers in relation to key clinical parameters and inflammatory markers. The levels of total HETEs and total HETEs/arachidonate, total F2-IsoPs/arachidonate, and COPs/cholesterol were higher during the febrile compared to the convalescent level. Total HETEs correlated positively with admission systolic blood pressure (r = 0.52, p < 0.05), whereas an inverse relationship was found between 7β-hydroxycholesterol and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (r = −0.61 and −0.59, respectively, p < 0.01). The urinary F2-IsoP level was higher in urine during the febrile stage compared to the convalescent level. Despite lower total cholesterol levels during the febrile stage compared to convalescent levels, a higher percentage of cholesterol was found as COPs (7β-, 24-, and 27-hydroxycholesterol). The levels of platelet-activating factor–acetylhydrolase activity, vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1, tumor necrosis factor-α, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were higher during the febrile stage compared to their convalescent levels (p < 0.01). Markers of oxidative damage are altered during the various stages of dengue infection.