Shock : molecular, cellular, and systemic pathobiological aspects and therapeutic approaches : the official journal the Shock Society, the European Shock Society, the Brazilian Shock Society, the International Federation of Shock Societies
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The reported incidence and mortality of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients in intensive care units (ICUs) is remarkably different even with standardized AKI criteria. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the incidence and mortality of patients with AKI in ICUs. ⋯ An inverse correlation between the incidence of AKI and the mortality of patients with AKI may indicate an advantage of frequent AKI occurrence, possibly because of increased awareness and larger exposure to AKIs; further study is needed, however, to confirm the causality.
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To investigate the potential utility of serum uncoupling protein-2 (UCP2) level as a biomarker in septic patients. ⋯ Serum UCP2 levels at admission were markedly increased in patients with sepsis, which is useful for early diagnose and prognostic prediction. UCP2 is a potential biomarker for sepsis, or even a subtype of sepsis.
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Inflammasomes are recognized as key components of the innate immune response in sepsis. We aimed to describe the transcriptional expression of nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat-containing receptor, pyrin domain-containing-3 (NLRP3), and serum interleukin-1β (IL-1 β) in critically ill patients, their changes over the first week and their prognostic value in septic patients. ⋯ NLRP3 is activated in critically ill patients but this up-regulation is more intense in patients with sepsis. In sepsis, a sustained NLRP3 activation during the first week is protective and sepsis. An increased caspase-1 protein expression with reduced expression caspase-3 is the pattern observed in septic shock patients who survive.
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Hepcidin is a liver-derived master regulator of iron metabolism through its molecular target ferroportin, the only known mammalian iron exporter. Accumulated evidence has shown the important roles of hepatic hepcidin in host defense and infections. Hepcidin is also expressed by airway epithelial cells. However, the function of epithelial hepcidin during bacterial pneumonia remains unknown. ⋯ These findings identify an uncharacterized important role of airway epithelial hepcidin in protection against bacterial pneumonia and provide the basis for novel alternative therapeutic strategies for combatting bacterial pneumonia in future translational research.