ELEVATION OF LIVER ENZYMES IN DENGUE AND MALARIAL THROMBOCYTOPENIC PATIENTS

Muhammad Sajid Abbas Jaffri, Fatima Hussain Kanani, Akber Yousfani, Athar Hussain Memon, Zaheer Ahmed, Zulfiqar Ali Qutrio Baloch and *Syed Zulfiquar Ali Shah

ABSTRACT

Objective: To determine the frequency of liver enzymes elevation in dengue and malarial thrombocytopenic patients. Patients and Methods: This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted from August 2013 to December 2013 at Fatimiyah hospital Karachi Pakistan. All patients aged between 15 and 60 years presenting with high grade fever and low platelet count for > 03 days duration on complete blood picture (CP) were included in this study and then underwent for further investigations of Liver function test, malaria parasite / ICT and dengue fever serology. The data was collected on pre-designed profroma and analysis was done using SPSS 17 version. Results: The main finding was mild to moderate hepatic impairment, assessed by serial measurements of liver enzyme levels was apparent in almost all dengue and malaria patients although the most abnormalities were noted later than during the generally critical period. Total 78 patients were identified as dengue fever and 10 patients were diagnosed as malaria while two patients has both dengue and malaria infection simultaneously. The mean ± SD for platelets count, SGPT, SGOT and ALP was 65.4 ± 39.7 and 50.10 ± 27.61 (p=0.2), 120.19 ± 10 and 58.50 ± 55.70 (p=0.06), 164.57 ± 228.9 and 64.0 ± 64.0 (0.1), 234.85 ± 154.33 and 214.70 ± 86.01 (p=0.6) in dengue and malarial thrombocytopenic individuals. Conclusion: In patients with dengue and malaria the liver function tests especially SGOT and SGPT (AST and ALT) were significantly deranged. On the basis of these parameters it was observed that liver function profile is the best tool to assess the severity and spread of the dengue and malarial infection.

Keywords: Malaria, dengue, thrombocytopenia, liver function test and platelets.