Clinical and experimental immunology
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Clin. Exp. Immunol. · Mar 2008
New immunological serum markers in bacteraemia: anti-inflammatory soluble CD163, but not proinflammatory high mobility group-box 1 protein, is related to prognosis.
High mobility group-box 1 protein (HMGB1) is a late-onset proinflammatory cytokine. Soluble haemoglobin scavenger receptor (sCD163) is a specific marker of anti-inflammatory macrophages. The study purpose was to relate the levels of these new markers in bactaeremic patients to levels of well-known pro- and anti-inflammatory markers [procalcitonin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10] and to evaluate the levels in relation to disease severity and aetiology. ⋯ Neither HMGB1 nor any of the proinflammatory markers were elevated in fatal cases compared to survivors. There was no statistically significant difference in HMGB1 and sCD163 levels in Gram-negative versus Gram-positive bacteraemia. HMGB1 reflects proinflammatory processes, whereas sCD163 reflects anti-inflammatory processes as judged by correlations with traditional marker molecules. sCD163 and IL-6, but not HMGB1, were prognostic markers in this cohort pointing to an anti-inflammatory predominance in patients with fatal disease outcome.