title: Interleukin-8 in sepsis: relation to shock and inflammatory mediators.
abstract: Because of its neutrophil-activating properties, interleukin-8 (IL-8) may play an important role in the pathophysiology of sepsis. We measured circulating IL-8 levels in 47 patients with clinical sepsis. Levels on admission were elevated in 42 of the 47 patients (89%) and were comparable in patients with gram-positive or gram-negative infections. Patients with shock had significantly higher IL-8 levels than normotensive patients (P = 0.0014, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test), whereas no differences in IL-8 levels were found between patients with or without adult respiratory distress syndrome. Patients who died had higher IL-8 levels on admission than the patients who survived. The largest differences in IL-8 levels between survivors and nonsurvivors was found when only patients with positive cultures were considered (P = 0.0342). IL-8 levels appeared to correlate significantly with lactate levels and inversely with leukocyte and platelet numbers and mean arterial pressure. In addition, the IL-8 level in the sepsis patients was found to correlate significantly with levels of IL-6, elastase-alpha 1-antitrypsin, and C3a. Serial observations revealed that in most patients IL-8 levels decreased, irrespective of the outcome. Thus, our results demonstrate that IL-8 levels are increased in most patients with sepsis and correlate with some important clinical, biochemical, and inflammatory parameters. These findings suggest a role for IL-8 in the pathophysiology of sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory of The Netherlands Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Hack
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: van Schijndel
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Eerenberg
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Nuijens
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Thijs
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Aarden
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015926:Complement C3a / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005174:Factor XII / Q000032:analysis; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood*; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood; D019344:Lactic Acid; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000097:blood; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase; D008875:Middle Aged; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000032:analysis*; D011288:Prekallikrein / Q000032:analysis; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000097:blood; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D007773:Lactates; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; C037741:alpha 1-antitrypsin-leukocyte elastase complex; D019344:Lactic Acid; D015926:Complement C3a; D005174:Factor XII; D011288:Prekallikrein; D007781:Lactoferrin; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase