Endocrine and metabolic alterations may underlie mortality of severe sepsis and septic shock patients admitted to ICU

The study evaluated endocrinal and metabolic response to sepsis and its applicability for the prediction of outcome of septic patients. Patients were 39 adult with severe infections and with- in 24 h after onset of suspected clinical tissue hypoperfusion. At enrollment patients were evaluated for acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score [APACHE II] and Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS]. Global hemodynamic parameters including systolic blood pressure [SBP], heart rate [HR] and central venous pressure [CVP] were recorded and monitored. All patients were managed at ICU due to Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines. ELISA estimated serum copeptin, macrophage migration inhibitory factor [MIF] and total cortisol [TC] and blood la ctate levels. Study outcome was survival rate via 28 days [28-D SR] and best predictor for it. The results showed that 22 patients passed total hospital stay uneventfully for a total survival rate of 56.4%. Seventeen patients died; 10 during ICU stay and 7 during word stay. At admission serum markers levels were significantly higher in survivors and nonsurvivors compared to controls and in non-survivors compared to survivors. Survival showed negative significant cor- relation with age, high blood lactate and serum copeptin, TC and MIF levels. Survival showed positive significant correlation with SBP, CVP and urine output. ROC curve and Regression analyses defined high at admission serum copeptin and blood lactate levels as significant predictors for mortality of septic patients

Copeptin in Hemodialysis Patients with Left Ventricular Dysfunction

PURPOSE: Copeptin has been considered as a useful marker for diagnosis and prediction of prognosis in heart diseases. However, copeptin has not been investigated sufficiently in hemodialysis patients. This study aimed to investigate the general features of copeptin in hemodialysis and to examine the usefulness of copeptin in hemodialysis patients with left ventricular dysfunction (LV dysfunction). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 41 patients on regular hemodialysis. Routine laboratory data and peptides such as the N-terminal of the prohormone brain natriuretic peptide and copeptin were measured on the day of hemodialysis. Body fluid volume was estimated by bioimpedance spectroscopy, and the E/Ea ratio was estimated by echocardiography. RESULTS: Copeptin increased to 171.4 pg/mL before hemodialysis. The copeptin had a positive correlation with pre-dialysis body fluid volume (r=0.314; p=0.04). The copeptin level decreased along with body fluid volume and plasma osmolality during hemodialysis. The copeptin increased in the patients with LV dysfunction more than in those with normal LV function (218.7 pg/mL vs. 77.6 pg/mL; p=0.01). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that copeptin had a diagnostic value in the hemodialysis patients with LV dysfunction (area under curve 0.737; p=0.02) and that the cut-off value was 125.48 pg/mL (sensitivity 0.7, specificity 0.8, positive predictive value 0.9, negative predictive value 0.6). CONCLUSION: Copeptin increases in hemodialysis patients and is higher in patients with LV dysfunction. We believe that copeptin can be a useful marker for the diagnosis of LV dysfunction in hemodialysis patients.

Comparação da acurácia de preditores de mortalidade na pneumonia associada à ventilação mecânica / Comparing the accuracy of predictors of mortality in ventilator-associated pneumonia

OBJETIVO: Níveis de procalcitonina, midregional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP, pró-peptídeo natriurético atrial midregional),, C-terminal provasopressin (copeptina), proteína C reativa (CRP) e escore do Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) são associados a gravidade e descritos como preditores de desfechos na pneumonia associada a ventilação mecânica (PAVM). Este estudo procurou comparar o valor preditivo de mortalidade desses biomarcadores na PAVM. MÉTODOS: Estudo observacional com 71 pacientes com PAVM. Níveis de procalcitonina, MR-proANP, copeptina e PCR, bem como escore de SOFA foram obtidos no dia do diagnóstico de PAVM, designado dia zero (D0), e no quarto dia de tratamento (D4) Os pacientes receberam tratamento antimicrobiano empírico, com modificações baseadas nos resultados de cultura. Os pacientes que morreram antes de D28 foram classificados como não sobreviventes. RESULTADOS: Dos 71 pacientes, 45 sobreviveram. Dos 45 sobreviventes, 35 (77,8 por cento) receberam tratamento antimicrobiano adequado, comparados com 18 (69,2 por cento) dos 26 não sobreviventes (p = 0,57). Os sobreviventes apresentaram valores significativamente mais baixos em todos os biomarcadores estudados, inclusive no escore de SOFA (exceto PCR) em D0 e D4. Em D0 e D4, a área sob a curva ROC foi maior para procalcitonina. Em D0, MR-proANP teve a maior razão de verossimilhança positiva (2,71) e valor preditivo positivo (0,60), mas a procalcitonina apresentou o maior valor preditivo negativo (0,87). Em D4, a procalcitonina apresentou a maior razão de verossimilhança positiva (3,46), o maior valor preditivo positivo (0,66) e o maior valor preditivo negativo (0,93). CONCLUSIONS: Os biomarcadores procalcitonina, MR-proANP e copeptina podem predizer mortalidade na PAVM, assim como o escore de SOFA. A procalcitonina tem o maior poder preditivo de mortalidade na PAVM.

OBJECTIVE: Levels of procalcitonin, midregional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP), C-terminal provasopressin (copeptin), and C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores, are associated with severity and described as predictors of outcome in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). This study sought to compare the predictive value of these biomarkers for mortality in VAP. METHODS: An observational study of 71 patients with VAP. Levels of procalcitonin, MR-proANP, copeptin, and CRP, together with SOFA scores, were determined at VAP onset, designated day 0 (D0), and on day 4 of treatment (D4). Patients received empirical antimicrobial therapy, with modifications based on culture results. Patients who died before D28 were classified as nonsurvivors. RESULTS: Of the 71 patients evaluated, 45 were classified as survivors. Of the 45 survivors, 35 (77.8 percent) received appropriate antimicrobial therapy, compared with 18 (69.2 percent) of the 26 nonsurvivors (p = 0.57). On D0 and D4, the levels of all biomarkers (except CRP), as well as SOFA scores, were lower in eventual survivors than in eventual nonsurvivors. For D0 and D4, the area under the ROC curve was largest for procalcitonin. On D0, MR-proANP had the highest positive likelihood ratio (2.71) and positive predictive value (0.60), but procalcitonin had the highest negative predictive value (0.87). On D4, procalcitonin had the highest positive likelihood ratio (3.46), the highest positive predictive value (0.66), and the highest negative predictive value (0.93). CONCLUSIONS: The biomarkers procalcitonin, MR-proANP, and copeptin can predict mortality in VAP, as can the SOFA score. Procalcitonin alone has the greatest predictive power for such mortality.

Electrophoretic analysis of polypeptides and glycopeptides of erythrocyte membrane sampled from rats simulating mild insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

In order to understand the molecular mechanism of reduced life span of diabetic erythrocyte, polypeptides and glycopeptides were analyzed by disc gel preparative sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. An additional glycopeptide (244.5 kDa) and two additional polypeptides (39.81 and 144.5 kDa) were observed on glycopeptide and polypeptide gel profiles of mild insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (mIDDM) sample as compared to control. On the basis of molecular weight, their position on gel profile and their widely accepted nomenclature they were termed as glycosylated-ankyrin, membrane accreted glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenease (G 3-PD) and stress induced band 2.3 peptide. Earlier we have reported an increase in heterogeneity associated with increase in the population of aged fragile cells having altered membrane bound cation dependent ATPases, cytosolic dehydrogenase and hexokinase activities of mIDDM simulating rat erythrocyte sample. Significance of above observation in view of our earlier observation is discussed to explain the molecular mechanism of reduced life span of diabetic erythrocytes.