Clinical presentation of different severities of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome: How to recognise it

Background/Aim. Besides viral serotype, HLA haplotype and cytokine genes polymorphism are associated with clinical presentation of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. Since these analyses are unavailable in routine clinical practice, the aim of this study was to assess clinical, laboratory and radiographic findings associated with clinical presentation of disease severity. Methods. A total of 30 patients (27 men and 3 women), average age 40 +/- 14.9 years, treated for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome from January 1, 1999 to December 31, 2009 in Clinical Center of Serbia, were included in the study. Nine patients (30%) had mild, 14 (46.7%) moderate and 7 (23.3%) severe form of the disease; 24 (80%) recovered, 6 (20%) died in the acute phase of the illness, and 19 patients (63.3%) required hemodialysis. Results. The average titer of antiviral antibodies in patients infected with Belgrade serotype virus were significantly higher in those with severe clinical presentation. Hypotension, anuria, macrohaematuria, pulmonary infiltration, pleural effusion, hepatomegalia and positive meningeal signs were more frequent in the patients with severe form of the disease. Statistically significant differences between groups with mild, moderate and severe clinical picture were found in serum total protein, albumin, calcium, glutamate pyruvate and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase on admittance; serum creatinine and phosphorus concentration on day 14 and day 21; serum sodium and calciums on day 14; hemoglobine concentration on day 21. A statistically significant correlation was found between clinical presentation of the disease severity and platelet count, white blood cell count, hemoglobine concentration, serum calcium and serum transaminases on admittance. Multivariate analysis identified variables combinations associated with clinical presentation of the disease. Conclusion. Our study confirmed that we can distinguish patients who will manifest different severities of the disease on the basis of careful consideration of laboratory and clinical findings on admission.