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Updated: Nov 7, 2025
Pseudofracture: An Acute Peripheral Tissue Trauma Model
Published on: April 18, 2011
The potential of adipokines in identifying multiple trauma patients at risk of developing multiple organ dysfunction
Julian Haupt1,2, Niels Krysiak3, Marina Unger3
1Experimental Trauma Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany. julian1haupt@bundeswehr.org.
Background:
Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and the consecutive multiple organ failure (MOF) are severe and dreaded complications with a high mortality in multiple trauma patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of the adipokines leptin, resistin, interleukin-17A and interleukin-33 as possible biomarkers in the early posttraumatic inflammatory response and for identifying severely traumatized patients at risk of developing MODS.
Methods:
In total, 14 multiple trauma patients with an injury severity score (ISS) ≥ 16 as well as a control group of 14 non-multiple trauma patients were included in this study and blood samples were taken at the time points 0, 6, 24, 48 and 72 h after admission. For the trauma patients, the SIRS and Denver MOF score were determined daily. The quantitative measurement of the plasma concentrations of the adipokines was performed using ELISA.
Results:
In the statistical analysis, the multiple trauma patients showed statistically significant higher plasma concentrations of leptin, resistin, IL-17A and IL-33 compared to the control group. In addition, there was a statistically significant positive correlation between the concentrations of resistin, IL-17A and IL-33 and the corresponding SIRS scores and between the concentrations of resistin, IL-17A and IL-33 and the corresponding Denver MOF scores. Finally, ROC curve analysis revealed that the adipokines leptin and IL-17A are suitable diagnostic markers for the discrimination between multiple trauma patients with and without MOF.
Conclusions:
Leptin and IL-17A could be suitable diagnostic markers to identify severely injured patients with a developing SIRS and MOF earlier, to adjust surgical therapy planning and intensive care.
