High serum nitric oxide levels in patients with severe leptospirosis

Maciel, Elves Anderson Pires
Athanazio, Daniel Abensur
Reis, Eliana Almeida Gomes
Cunha, Fernando Queiroz
Queiroz, Adriano
Almeida, Deusdelia Teixeira de
McBride, Alan John Alexander
Ko, Albert Icksang
Reis, Mitermayer Galvão dos

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Publication date

January 2006

DOI

10.1016/j.actatropica.2006.11.006

Publisher

Elsevier BV

ISSN

0001-706X

Citation count (estimate)

Abstract

Leptospirosis is a globally distributed zoonosis of major public health importance and is associated with severe disease manifestations such as acute renal failure and pulmonary haemorrhage syndrome. However, the extent to which the pathogenesis of leptospirosis mimics sepsis caused by Gramnegative bacteria remains unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum levels of nitric oxide (NO) in patients diagnosed with severe leptospirosis. Sera from 35 confirmed cases of severe leptospirosis and 13 healthy subjects were analysed. Patients with severe leptospirosis had significantly higher NO levels compared to healthy individuals (30.82 ± 10.90 μM versus 3.86 ± 1.34 μM, P<0.001), indicating that this immune mediator plays a role in the u...