title: Cleavage of plasma high molecular weight kininogen in surgical ICU patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize kininogens in plasma from surgical patients in the intensive care unit (ICU).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surgical ICU.
  
  
  METHODS
  35 patients aged 19-79 years, divided into two groups: sepsis (defined by standard criteria) and nonsepsis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Studies of proteolytic degradation of H-kininogen showed degradation in both patient groups compared to healthy controls. Functional quantification of prekallikrein showed a reduction of prekallikrein in plasma from both patients groups. Functional quantification of kininogens by a cysteine proteinase inhibitor assay showed no significant differences between the patients and the controls. Immunological levels of H-kininogen and total kininogen were not significantly different from normal plasma. No differences could be detected between the two patient groups in any of the parameters studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that contact activation took place in surgical ICU patients: partial kinin release and consumption of prekallikrein took place in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Karlsrud
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Buø
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Aasen
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Johansen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003260:Contact Inhibition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007704:Kininogens / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011288:Prekallikrein / Q000032:analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D007704:Kininogens; D011288:Prekallikrein