Bactericidal permeability increasing protein gene variants in children with sepsis

To evaluate the role of genetic polymorphisms of the bactericidal permeability increasing protein (BPI) in pediatric patients with sepsis.

Prospective, single-center, case-control study at the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a university hospital.

345 consecutive pediatric patients admitted to the PICU with fever, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), sepsis, severe sepsis, septic shock, or multiple organ distress syndrome (MODS).

DNA was isolated and two BPI gene polymorphisms BPI (G545 > C) Taq and BPI (A645[ > G) 216 were studied in patients and compared with healthy controls.

Genetic analysis of the BPI Taq gene revealed significant differences between healthy controls and the subgroup of febrile patients (p = 0.0243), the subgroup of SIRS and sepsis (p = 0.0101), and the subgroup of severe sepsis, septic shock, and MODS (p = 0.0027), respectively. No statistically significant differences for the BPI 216 gene polymorphism were found between patient and healthy control groups. A statistically significant predisposition to Gram-negative sepsis in patients carrying the BPI Taq GG variant together with the BPI 216 AG or GG variant was revealed (p = 0.0081), and these haplotypes were also associated with death due to sepsis-related complications.

BPI Taq gene polymorphism is the accurate predictor of the severity of sepsis in children admitted to the PICU.