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Updated: Apr 22, 2026
A Reproducible Intensive Care Unit-Oriented Endotoxin Model in Rats
Published on: February 20, 2021
[Experience of using endotoxin selective adsorption in patients with severe sepsis after open-heart surgery]
Purpose Of The Study:
To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of selective lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-adsorption therapy using polymyxin B immobilised fibre cartridges in adult patients complicated with severe sepsis after cardiac surgery.
Methods:
105 patients received extracorporeal LPS-adsorption procedures using Toraymyxin columns--PMX (Toray, Japan) in addition to the standard treatment according to the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guideline study group. For control group we selected 40 patients, comparable by PMX group in age, body weight, severity of illness, and the duration of cardiopulmonary bypass, received only standard therapy. All patients received significant doses of vasoactive drugs for hemodynamic support, mechanical ventilation and broad-spectrum antibiotics. Mean APACHE II and SOFA scores were comparable for both groups. Inclusion criteria were: clinical signs of severe sepsis, endotoxin activity assay (EAA) > or = 0.6, elevated blood plasma procalcitonin (PCT) > 2 ng ml(-1). The inclusion criteria were clinical signs of severe sepsis, endotoxin activity assay (EAA) > or = 0.6, and blood plasma procalcitonin (PCT) > 2 ng ml(-1).
Results:
Extracorporeal treatment was administered within 24 h of a severe sepsis diagnosis. Each patient in PMX group received 2 LPS-adsorption procedures and each session of hemoperfusion lasted for 120 minutes. After the LPS-adsorption course, we noted any indices of haemodynamic improvements, including an increase in mean arterial pressure on 22% (p < 0.001), mean oxygenation index (on 24.5%, p < 0.001), normalisation of leukocytosis and a decrease in mean body temperature. After the procedures of LPS-adsorption we found the statistically significant decreasing of LPS concentrations according to LAL-test and EAA. In the control group, there were no significant changes in any of the studied parameters except body temperature. Moreover, the 28-day mortality was 42% in the study group and 65% in the control group (p = 0.032). The endotoxin adsorption procedures were not associated with any adverse reactions, and specifically no extracorporeal circuit thrombosis cases were noted.
Conclusion:
Selective LPS-adsorption is a safe and effective additional treatment method for severe sepsis patients.
