Table 1

Selected biomarker studies and disease association studies in Critical Care (2008)

Molecule
Reference
Number studied
Patient type or animal model
Main findings

sTREM
Huh and colleagues [10]
80
VAP patients
sTREM in BAL fluid was highest in bacterial infection patients, high in viral/mycobacterial pneumonia patients and low in noninfected patients
Eosinopenia
Abidi and colleagues [11]
198
Sepsis patients
Low eosinophil levels discriminate infection from noninfectious inflammation and are comparable with PCT and CRP as predictors
Gelsolin
Wang and colleagues [12]
91
Surgical patients
Gelsolin is an actin scavenger, and reduced levels of gelsolin are associated with worsening sepsis
Kerbs von Lungren 6
Nathani and colleagues [13]
42
ARDS and at-risk patients
Kerbs von Lungren 6 is an alveolar type 2 cell marker associated with increased risk of ARDS
Copeptin
Seligman and colleagues [14]
71
VAP patients
Copeptin is a derivative of preproAVP and a strong predictor of mortality in VAP
Protein disulfide isomerase
Zhou and colleagues [15]
30
CLP or LPS-treated rats
PDI suppresses TNF gene expression in septic states; reduced PDI upregulates TNF
Bim and Bid gene expression
Weber and colleagues [16]
37
Septic patients
Bim and Bid proapoptotic genes are strongly upregulated in sepsis and lymphocyte depletion
Endothelin-1
Trachsel and colleagues [17]
28
LPS-treated pigs
Endothelin-1 levels correlate with pulmonary hypertension and responsiveness to inhaled nitric oxide
Reactive oxygen species
Martins and colleagues [18]
41
Septic patients
ROS are upregulated in myeloid cells and are correlated with adverse outcome
Akt and ERK1/2
Li and colleagues [19]
77
C57/BL6 mice
Akt and ERK1/2 mediate in part pulmonary injury/fibrosis from high tidal volume ventilation

Akt, serine/threonine kinase B; ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome; AVP, arginine vasopressin; BAL, bronchoalveolar lavage; CLP, cecal ligation and puncture; CRP, C-reactive protein; ERK1/2, extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2b; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; PCT, procalcitonin; PDI, protein disulfide isomerase; ROS, reactive oxygen species; sTREM, soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells; VAP, ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Opal and LaRosa Critical Care 2009 13:224   doi:10.1186/cc7945