High mortality rate of septic patients with high blood granzyme B concentrations

Granzyme B could be released from cytotoxic T lymphocytes producing apoptosis activation. The objective of our study was to determine whether an association between septic patient mortality and blood granzyme B concentrations exist. We recruited septic patients admitted in 3 Intensive Care Units. We recorded mortality at 30 days and we determined serum granzyme B concentrations at moment of sepsis diagnosis. We found higher rate of history of diabetes mellitus (P = 0.02), serum granzyme B concentrations (P < 0.001), age (P = 0.001), serum lactic acid levels (P = 0.001) and sepsis-related organ failure assessment (P < 0.001) exhibited non-surviving patients (n = 67) than surviving ones (n = 110). We found in multiple logistic regression analysis an association of serum granzyme B concentrations with mortality (odds ratio = 1.223; 95% confidence interval = 1.104-1.355; P < 0.001) controlling for diabetes mellitus, sepsis-related organ failure assessment, lactic acid and age. That we know, our study is the first reporting the existence of an association of high serum granzyme B concentrations with high septic patients mortality.