© 1995 by Oxford University Press
research-article |
Serum Cortisol Levels in Children with Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever
*Nuclear Medicine, Department of Medical Research Yangon, Union of Myanmar
**Virology Research Divisions, Department of Medical Yangon, Union of Myanmar
***Yangon Children's Hospital Yangon, Union of Myanmar
Dr Myo-Khin, Department of Medical Research, No. 5 Ziwaka Road, 11191, Yangon, Union of Myanmar.
Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF) is a serious and often fatal paediatric problem in Myanmar. Acute and convalescent serum cortisol levels were measured in 62 children with dengue infection to study cortisol sufficiency in this disease. Twenty-six children with non-dengue acute viral infection were also included as controls. In acute stage, highest mean serum cortisol level (655.4 ± 72.18 nmol/1) was observed in DHF cases presenting with shock, followed by DHF non-shock cases (640.56 ± 74.58 nmol/l) and dengue fever cases (617.2±7538 nmol/l). Cases with DHF had significantly higher serum cortisol level (P<0.05) than in controls (444.41 ± 59.71 nmol/l). In cases of DHF, mean serum cortisol level during the acute stage was found to be significantly two-fold higher than the convalescent stage. We found no cortisol insufficiency in cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever during acute and convalescent stages of illness.