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Published on: December 18, 2010
Blood caspase-8 concentrations and mortality among septic patients
L Lorente1, M M Martín2, R Ortiz-López3
1Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Ofra, s/n., La Laguna 38320, Tenerife, Spain.
Objective:
No data are available on blood caspase-8 concentrations (the initiator caspase in the extrinsic apoptosis pathway) in septic patients. The present study thus describes the blood caspase-8 concentrations in survivors and non-survivors, and examines the possible association between blood caspase-8 concentrations and mortality in septic patients.
Design:
A prospective observational study was carried out.
Setting:
Three Spanish Intensive Care Units.
Patients:
Septic patients.
Interventions:
Serum caspase-8 concentrations were determined at the diagnosis of sepsis.
Main Variable Of Interest:
Mortality after 30 days.
Results:
Patients not surviving at day 30 (n=81) compared to surviving patients (n=140) showed higher serum caspase-8 levels (p<0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis found an association between serum caspase-8 levels>43.5ng/ml and mortality (OR=3.306; 95%CI=1.619-6.753; p=0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) for mortality predicted by serum caspase-8 levels was 67% (95% CI=60-73%; p<0.001).
Conclusions:
The novel findings of our study were that blood caspase-8 concentrations are higher in non-survivors than in survivors, and that there is an association between blood caspase-8 concentrations and mortality in septic patients.
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