Laboratory analysis of patients infected with the dengue virus

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the laboratory data of patients infected with the dengue virus (DENV) in order to identify characteristic patterns associated with the infection. Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted, evaluating secondary laboratory data from 2,117 patients treated at the Laboratory of the Military Police of the State of Goiás (LCHPM) between 2020 and 2022. Data from 389 patients who tested positive for DENV infection through NS1, IgM, and IgG assays were included. The following laboratory parameters were assessed: total leukocyte count, neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelet count, and the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and leukocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (LLR). The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee. Results: A total of 389 patients were diagnosed with dengue, showing significant alterations in platelet count (p<0.0001), leukocytes (p<0.0001), lymphocytes (p<0.0001), neutrophils (p<0.0001), and monocytes (p=0.0044), when compared with patients negative for infection. A marked increase in cases was observed in 2022, with a 330% rise between the fourth quarter of 2021 and the third quarter of 2022. Conclusion: The laboratory profile of the analyzed patients confirmed thrombocytopenia, leukocytosis, lymphopenia, monocytosis, elevated neutrophils, and hepatic alterations in infected patients, reinforcing the importance of laboratory and epidemiological analysis in the clinical management of dengue.