[Correlation analysis between serum ferritin level and liver damage in acute stage of dengue fever]

Objective: To investigate the correlation between serum ferritin (SF) level and liver damage in the acute stage of dengue fever. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to analyze 171 cases diagnosed with dengue fever as dengue fever group and 130 healthy patients as control group in Hangzhou 3A grade hospital from July to December 2017. Clinical data, SF and liver function related indicators were collected from both groups: alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBIL) to analyze the correlation between liver damage and SF in patients with dengue fever. Results: ALT, AST, and SF levels were significantly higher in the dengue fever group than those in the healthy control group (Z = 11.553, 15.054 and 15.163, P < 0.001). SF levels were higher in the dengue fever combined with liver damage group than those without the liver damage group (z = 6.930, P < 0.001). However, there was no statistically significant differences in age, gender, peak body temperature, and history of liver disease (P > 0.05). In addition, Spearman's correlation analysis showed that SF was positively correlated with ALT, AST, and TBIL (r = 0.464, 0.531 and 0.315, P < 0.001). Among dengue patients with different SF levels, there were significant difference in ALT, AST levels and incidence of liver damage (H = 14.240 and 17.584, χ(2) = 49.547, P < 0.001). Patients with higher SF levels had higher ALT, AST levels and incidence of liver damage. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that hyperferritinemia (SF≥500 ng/ml) was the risk factor for dengue fever combined with liver damage (OR = 8.120, P < 0.001). Furthermore, ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC for SF to judge dengue fever combined liver damage was 0.846 (95% CI: 0.785-0.908), and the sensitivity and specificity when the SF cut-off value was 1 506 ng/ml were 74.8% and 83.3%. Conclusion: There is a certain correlation between the SF level and the degree of liver damage in acute stage of dengue fever patients, and hyperferritinemia is a risk factor for dengue fever combined with liver damage.

[Clinical study on relationship between liver-blood stasis and liver fibrosis]

OBJECTIVE

Exploring the relationship between Liver-Blood Stasis (LBS) and liver fibrosis (LF) to lay a theoretical foundation of rational using traditional Chinese medicines against LF.

METHODS

Human procollagen peptide III (hPC III), hyaluronic acid (HA), laminin (LN) in the sera of 35 patients with hepatopathy and Blood Stasis Syndrome (HP-BS) and 35 patients with hepatopathy and Non-Blood Stasis Syndrome (HP-NBS) were measured by radioimmunoassay. Thirty healthy subjects were taken as control. Correlation analysis between the degrees of LBS and those of the serum indexes of LF was made.

RESULTS

(1) hPC III, HA, LN in the sera of the patients with HP-BS were markedly higher than those in the sera of the patients with HP-NBS, but the latter were markedly higher than healthy subjects. (2) Degrees of LBS correlated closely with those of LF. (3) (Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction XFZYD) not only might improve the degrees of LBS but also decline the serum LF indexes. Nevertheless, the curative effects in early period of taking the herbs only showed serum HA dropped.

CONCLUSION

The nature of LF in traditional Chinese medicine concept is mainly LBS. The degrees of LBS might reflect those of LF to a certain extent. XFZYD showed effective in declining serum LF indexes but it needs at least 2 months.