Levels of soluble adhesion molecules and cytokines in patients with septic multiple organ failure

Multiple organ failure (MOF) is a common complication of sepsis or septic shock. In this condition, it is believed that activated neutrophils adhere to the vascular endothelium and induce various mediators and tissue damage, leading to organ damage. We investigated the plasma levels of inflammatory cytokine activating neutrophils, soluble adhesive molecules, and endotoxin in 8 patients with septic MOF, 15 patients with sepsis but without MOF, and in 5 patients with MOF unrelated infection. The soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) concentration in sepsis-complicated groups was significantly higher than that in the multiple organ failure (MOF) group without infection. Of sepsis-complicated groups, the sICAM-1 value in the MOF group was significantly higher than that in the sepsis group without MOF. In sepsis-complicated groups, both soluble endothelial-leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 (sELAM-1) and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) concentrations were significantly higher than those in the MOF group without infection. However, there was no significant difference between the septic MOF group and the sepsis group without MOF. In patients showing high levels of soluble adhesion molecule, prognosis was poor, and the concentration of soluble adhesion molecules rapidly decreased during recovery from MOF. It is speculated that endotoxin and inflammatory cytokines damage vascular endothelium as well as various other cells and produce, a large number of adhesion molecule, especially in patients with septic MOF, causing leakage of adhesion molecules into blood.