ASSOCIATION OF LEVELS OF VITAMIN-D AND MANNOSE-BINDING LECTIN IN CASES OF DENGUE FEVER IN RURAL INDIA

Background: Dengue is an arthropod-borne viral disease caused by the dengue virus (DENV). DENV is an RNA virus that belongs to the Flavivirus genus. The incidence of dengue has grown in the recent decade globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers dengue as a major global public health challenge in the tropic and sub-tropic nations. Materials and Methods: NS1 antigen and IgM antibody ELISA were done, and the serum levels of Vitamin-D and Mannose Binding Lectins (MBL) were determined to find out their association with the severity of Dengue, i.e., Dengue fever (DF) / Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever status (DHF). Results: The male-to-female ratio was 1.35:1 with the most commonly affected age group of 11-20 years (31.3%). NS1 antigen ELISA alone was positive in 12 (15%) samples, IgM ELISA alone was positive in 20 (25%) samples, while NS1 and IgM ELISA both were positive in 48 (60%) samples. 64 (80%) and 16 (20%) cases were DF and DHF, respectively. Conclusion: Thrombocytopenia is significantly notable in DHF patients as compared to DF patients. Both NS1 and IgM ELISA are needed to effectively diagnose dengue cases. The association of low levels of MBL with DF and DHF might be related to the reduced activation of the MBL pathway of complement, leading to a higher viral load in dengue cases.