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Introduction: The following study discusses dengue, which is a major mosquito-borne viral disease. It is caused by four serotypes (DEN-1 to DEN-4), with varying clinical severity. Differences in serotype virulence may influence hematological abnormalities, hypoalbuminemia, and disease outcomes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between dengue serotypes, hematological parameters, serum albumin levels, and severe clinical outcomes among hospitalized dengue patients.
Methods: This is a hospital-based observational study which was conducted among 95 laboratory-confirmed dengue patients who were admitted to a tertiary care hospital over one year. Dengue serotypes were identified using RT-PCR. Clinical, hematological, and biochemical parameters, including serum albumin levels, were collected and analyzed. Associations between serotypes, hypoalbuminemia, hematological changes, and clinical outcomes were evaluated using appropriate statistical tests.
Results: Among the dengue serotypes, DEN-2 exhibited the lowest mean serum albumin level (2.84 ± 1.16 g/dL), significantly lower than DEN-1 (3.42 ± 0.69 g/dL), DEN-3 (3.51 ± 0.78 g/dL), and DEN-4 (3.58 ± 0.67 g/dL) (p<0.05). Severe dengue occurred in 11 patients (17.2%), with a mean albumin level of 2.62 ± 0.71 g/dL, while plasma leakage was observed in 45.5% of these cases. The majority of patients were aged 19–34 years (49.5%). DEN-2 also showed the lowest platelet count (1.36 ± 0.59 lakh/mm³), whereas DEN-3 had the highest (1.69 ± 0.70 lakh/mm³).
Conclusion: The study has concluded that a significant association between dengue serotypes and variations in serum albumin levels, with DEN-2 infection showing the greatest degree of hypoalbuminemia and thrombocytopenia.