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Serial cytokine levels in patients with severe sepsis

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Abstract

Objective and design

The serial or dynamic changes of cytokine levels in severely septic patients, between shock and no shock, survivors and non-survivors are still unclear.

Methods

Seventy-six patients with severe sepsis were enrolled to our study. Plasma levels of interferon-γ, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-12 and transforming growth factor-β1 from day 1 to day 7 were determined.

Results

IL-6 level in non-survivors was higher than that in survivors on day 1. IL-10 level in non-survivors was higher than that in survivors on day 1, 2, and 3. IL-6 level in shock patients was higher than that in non-shock patients on day 1, 2, 6 and 7. IL-10 level in shock patients was higher than that in non-shock patients from day 1 to day 7. Plasma time-course curves of IL-6 and IL-10 were different between survivors and non-survivors. Plasma time-course curve of IL-6 was different between patients with shock and without shock. Regression analysis found that IL-6 was correlated with IL-10 and shock. IL-10 was correlated with IL-6 and mortality.

Conclusion

IL-6 and IL-10 were the key cytokines in the pathogenesis of severe sepsis. IL-6 was comparatively more associated with septic shock and IL-10 was comparatively more associated with mortality.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank all members of medical and emergent intensive care units for providing clinical assistance. This research was supported by Chang Gung Memorial Hospital under Contract #CMRPG240331.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, #222, Maijin Rd. Anle Chiu, Keelung, 204, Taiwan, ROC

    Huang-Pin Wu, Jo-Chi Tseng, Chung-Ching Hua & Yu-Chih Liu

  2. Department of Respiratory Therapy, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan, ROC

    Huang-Pin Wu, Jo-Chi Tseng, Chung-Ching Hua & Yu-Chih Liu

  3. Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC

    Huang-Pin Wu, Chian-Kuang Chen, Kong Chung, Jo-Chi Tseng, Chung-Ching Hua, Yu-Chih Liu & Chung-Han Yang

  4. Department of Emergence, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan, ROC

    Chian-Kuang Chen & Kong Chung

  5. Department of Chemistry, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC

    Duen-Yau Chuang

  6. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan, ROC

    Chung-Han Yang

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  1. Huang-Pin Wu
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Correspondence to Huang-Pin Wu.

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Responsible Editor: C. Kasserra.

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Wu, HP., Chen, CK., Chung, K. et al. Serial cytokine levels in patients with severe sepsis. Inflamm. Res. 58, 385–393 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00011-009-0003-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00011-009-0003-0

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