Original Research

Clinical Utility of NS1 Antigen level in Predicting Severity ofThrombocytopenia, Transaminitis and Appearance of Warning Signsin Dengue Patients

Kinza Khan1
The University of Pennsylvania/HUP, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Aijaz Zeeshan Khan Chachar2
Fatima Memorial Hospital/ College of Medicine and Dentistry, Lahore, Pakistan
Fatima Shahid2
Fatima Memorial Hospital/ College of Medicine and Dentistry, Lahore, Pakistan
Javeid Iqbal3
Medical Unit-II, Services Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
Danish Khan4
Medicine, Central Park Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan
Khurshid Khan2
Fatima Memorial Hospital/ College of Medicine and Dentistry, Lahore, Pakistan

✉ Correspondence: Khurshid Khan Email: dockhan@live.com

DOI https://doi.org/10.70302/jpsim.v7i2.2624
Volume: 7, Issue 2 Pages: 122–126 Published: 03 Jun 2026
Received: 01 Sep 2025 Revised: 13 Apr 2026 Accepted: 04 May 2026 Published Online: 03 Jun 2026

Abstract

Objectives

To find an association between plasma levels of NS1 antigen with thrombocytopenia, Transaminitis and appearance of warning signs that can help to better manage high-risk cases that would develop into DHF/DSS

Methods

This retrospective study analyzed 136 dengue patients admitted to the Department of Medicine at Fatima Memorial Hospital for dengue fever from August 1, 2022, and November 30, 2022. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected including warning signs of abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, mucosal bleeding, rising hematocrit from baseline, narrow pulse pressures, NS1 antigen levels, platelet levels, and ALT/AST levels. Pearson Correlation Coefficient was calculated to show correlation between quantitative laboratory variables with NS1 antigen.

Results

The median NS1 antigen was 13 (IQR 17.7), the median platelet count was 52 (IQR 67), A total of 134 (98.5%) patients were sent home safely after management which showed median NS1 antigen levels of 13(17.27) whereas 2 patients (1.5%) who died showed median Ns1 antigen level was 22.1.There was statistically significant inverse correlation (p<0.05) between NS1 antigen and platelet count. Elevated NS1 antigen levels were significantly associated with abdominal pain and persistent vomiting, while higher levels correlated with increased morbidity and mortality.

Conclusion

On the whole; NS1 antigen's potential for risk assessment and early intervention in severe dengue cases, suggesting a shift from reactive to proactive care in dengue management. Although limited by sample size and single-center design, this study underscores the clinical value of NS1 antigen in improving patients’ outcomes and warrants further validation in larger, multi-center studies.

Keywords
NS1 Antigen Dengue Fever Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Thrombocytopenia Transaminitis Clinical Utility Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever.

How to Cite This Article

Khan K, Chachar AZK, Shahid F, Iqbal J, Khan D, Khan K. Clinical Utility of NS1 Antigen level in Predicting Severity ofThrombocytopenia, Transaminitis and Appearance of Warning Signsin Dengue Patients. J Pak Soc Intern Med. 2026;7(2):122–126. doi:10.70302/jpsim.v7i2.2624

Conflict of Interest

All authors declare no competing interests.

Disclosed in accordance with ICMJE and COPE guidelines.

Funding

No specific funding was received for this research.

Funder information follows the Crossref Funder Registry standard.

References

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Reference list indexed for Google Scholar and ResearchGate. DOI links resolve via doi.org.

CC BY CC BY 4.0 This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. May be shared and adapted with attribution. © 2026 Journal of Pakistan Society of Internal Medicine.
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