ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DENGUE VIRUS NS1 ANTIGEN AND INTERLEUKIN-6 (IL-6) LEVELS AS A PREDICTOR OF INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE IN DENGUE HEMORRHAGIC FEVER

Abstrak

Introduction: Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) is a tropical infectious disease that often causes systemic inflammation. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key inflammatory mediator in dengue virus infection, and detection of Nonstructural 1 (NS1) protein is widely used as an early marker of DHF. This study aimed to analyze IL-6 levels in DHF patients and examine the relationship between NS1 protein presence and IL-6 levels. Methods: IL-6 levels were measured using the immunofluorescence assay method. An independent T-test was used to compare IL-6 levels between DHF patients and non-DHF controls, and regression analysis was performed to assess the relationship between NS1 protein presence and IL-6 levels. Results: Among NS1-positive DHF patients, 82% (23/28) exhibited abnormal IL-6 levels, while 18% (5/28) had normal IL-6 levels, resulting in a sensitivity of 82%. The mean IL-6 level in DHF patients was 17.50, compared to 2.00 in the non-DHF group. Independent T-test analysis revealed a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). Regression analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between NS1 protein presence and elevated IL-6 levels in DHF patients. Conclusion: IL-6 levels are significantly increased in DHF patients compared to healthy individuals, and the presence of NS1 protein is positively correlated with IL-6 levels. IL-6 may serve as a potential inflammatory biomarker for the diagnosis and clinical monitoring of DHF.