title: Taurine and pulmonary hemodynamics in sepsis.
abstract: This study has been performed to characterize the relationship between changes in plasma taurine (TAU) and hemodynamic patterns in sepsis. Analysis of 249 plasma aminoacidograms (AA-grams) and associated measurements in a group of critically ill, mechanically ventilated septic patients, showed that decreases in TAU were significantly correlated with increases in pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance, and with worsening of pulmonary dysfunction. All cases requiring positive end-expiratory pressure greater than 10cmH2O had TAU lower than 50 microM/L. Low TAU was paralleled by decreases in other sulfur-containing AA, phosphoethanolamine, beta-alanine, glutamate and aspartate, within a pattern of greater metabolic dysregulation. These data provide evidence of a link between severity of pulmonary dysfunction and reduced TAU availability in clinical sepsis. The implications relate also to the need for specific investigations of the clinical effect of exogenous TAU on proinflammatory mediator-induced pulmonary dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Centro di Studio per la Fisiopatologia dello Shock CNR, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chiarla
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Giovannini
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boldrini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castagneto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood; D016280:Atrial Function, Right / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000502:physiology*; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation; D011669:Pulmonary Wedge Pressure; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013654:Taurine / Q000097:blood*; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D013654:Taurine; D019344:Lactic Acid