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Inflammatory Biomarkers and Post-Intensive Care Syndrome: A Prospective Cohort Study
Mateusz Szczupak1, Jacek Kobak2,3, Jolanta Wierzchowska1
1Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy of the Nicolaus Copernicus Hospital in Gdańsk, Nowe Ogrody 1-6 Street, 80-803 Gdańsk, Poland.
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 13, 2026
Summary
Systemic inflammation markers like C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were not consistently linked to Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) severity in survivors. Some associations with psychological PICS burden were observed, but require further validation.
Area of Science:
- Critical Care Medicine
- Immunology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) encompasses physical, cognitive, and psychological impairments following critical illness.
- Systemic inflammation is a proposed, yet uncertain, contributor to PICS development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between serial inflammatory biomarker concentrations (CRP, PCT, IL-6) and PICSQ severity in ICU survivors.
- To explore the relationship between specific inflammatory markers and different domains of PICS.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of 267 adult ICU patients.
- Serial measurements of CRP, PCT, and IL-6 during hospitalization.
- PICS severity assessed using the Post-Intensive Care Syndrome Questionnaire (PICSQ) at discharge and 2, 3 months post-discharge.
- Statistical analyses included correlation, group comparisons, and multivariable regression models.
Main Results:
- No consistent association found between inflammatory biomarkers and overall PICSQ severity at any time point.
- Weak inverse associations noted between some biomarkers and cognitive PICS domain scores.
- Borderline associations observed for PCT and IL-6 with total PICSQ and psychological domain severity, respectively, at 3 months.
- Elevated IL-6 on day 2 was significantly associated with higher odds of psychological PICS burden at 3 months (aOR 3.61).
Conclusions:
- Routinely measured inflammatory biomarkers lack consistent association with global PICS severity.
- Potential time-dependent, domain-specific links between inflammation and psychological PICS burden warrant further investigation.
- Findings are exploratory and require external validation for clinical risk stratification.
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