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Updated: Jun 13, 2025
A Data-Driven Approach to Quantifying Immune States in Sepsis
Published on: February 7, 2025
Differential expression of plasma cytokines in sepsis patients and their clinical implications
Hui-Xiu Liu1, Yu-Ying Wang2,3, Xue-Feng Yang4
1Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment Center, The Affiliated Second Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, Hunan Province, China.
Background:
Sepsis, which is characterized by acute systemic inflammation and is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, presents a significant challenge in health care. Some scholars have found that the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and quick SOFA scores are not ideal for predicting severe sepsis and mortality. Microbial culture takes a long time (2-3 d) and provides no information for early diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, new diagnostic methods for sepsis need to be explored.
Aim:
To assess cytokine levels in the plasma of sepsis patients and identify potential biomarkers for diagnosing sepsis.
Methods:
Ten sepsis patients admitted to the emergency department within 24 h of onset were enrolled as the observation group, whereas ten noninfected patients served as the control group. Of the 10 noninfected patients, 9 hypertension combined with cerebral infarction, 1 patients with vertiginous syndrome. Plasma Cytokines were measured using the Bio-Plex Pro™ Human Chemokine Panel 40-plex. Differentially expressed cytokines in plasma of sepsis and nonsepsis patients were analyzed using Gene Ontology (GO) functional enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses.
Results:
Interleukin (IL)-16, granulocyte-macrophage granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), CX3CL1, CXCL9, CXCL16, CCL25, and CCL23 plasma levels were significantly increased in sepsis patients. GO analysis revealed that these cytokines were mainly associated with cellular structures such as intermediates, nuclear plaques, adhesion plaques, lateral plasma membranes, and cell matrix junctions. These genes were involved in various molecular functions, such as cytokine activity, receptor ligand activity, and signal receptor activator activity, contributing to various biological functions, such as leukocyte chemotaxis, migration, and chemotaxis. KEGG analysis indicated involvement in cytokine cytokine receptor interactions, chemokine signaling pathways, virus-protein interactions with cytokines and cytokine receptors, and the tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway.
Conclusion:
Elevated serum levels of IL-16, GM-CSF, CX3CL1, CXCL9, CXCL16, CCL25, and CCL23 in sepsis patients suggest their potential as diagnostic biomarkers for sepsis.
Insights
Elevated plasma levels of specific cytokines, including Interleukin-16 and GM-CSF, indicate potential as novel biomarkers for early sepsis diagnosis, addressing limitations of current methods.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Biochemistry
- Medical Diagnostics
Background:
- Sepsis is a life-threatening condition characterized by systemic inflammation with high mortality rates.
- Current diagnostic methods like SOFA scores and microbial cultures have limitations in early and rapid sepsis detection.
- There is a critical need for novel diagnostic approaches to identify sepsis promptly.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate plasma cytokine profiles in sepsis patients.
- To identify potential protein biomarkers for sepsis diagnosis.
- To compare cytokine levels between sepsis patients and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Plasma samples were collected from ten sepsis patients and ten non-infected controls.
- Cytokine levels were quantified using the Bio-Plex Pro™ Human Chemokine Panel 40-plex.
- Bioinformatic analyses, including GO and KEGG pathway analyses, were performed on differentially expressed cytokines.
Main Results:
- Sepsis patients exhibited significantly elevated plasma levels of Interleukin-16 (IL-16), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), CX3CL1, CXCL9, CXCL16, CCL25, and CCL23.
- Gene Ontology analysis linked these cytokines to cellular structures and molecular functions like leukocyte chemotaxis.
- Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis highlighted involvement in cytokine-receptor interactions and inflammatory pathways.
Conclusions:
- The study identified specific cytokines with significantly increased levels in sepsis patients.
- These elevated cytokines, including IL-16 and GM-CSF, show promise as potential diagnostic biomarkers for sepsis.
- Further validation of these biomarkers could lead to improved early sepsis detection and management.
