title: Circulating levels of the long pentraxin PTX3 correlate with severity of infection in critically ill patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the recently discovered long pentraxin PTX3 in plasma of critically ill patients and to compare it with the classic short pentraxin C-reactive protein and with other indicators of inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort study on plasma samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical intensive care unit (ICU) of the University Hospital of Basel.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 101 consecutive critically ill patients admitted to the medical ICU.
  
  
  METHODS
  Venous blood samples were routinely obtained at entry, on day 2, and at discharge or before death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma samples were obtained from 101 consecutive critically ill patients admitted to the ICU with systemic inflammatory response syndrome, sepsis, or septic shock. PTX3 plasma levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. PTX3 was elevated in critically ill patients, with a gradient from systemic inflammatory response syndrome to septic shock. PTX3 levels correlated with clinical scores reflecting severity of disease (e.g., Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II: p =.00097). In addition, high levels of PTX3 were associated with unfavorable outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The long pentraxin PTX3 is elevated in critically ill patients and correlates with severity of disease and infection. Compared with the short pentraxin C-reactive protein, PTX3 may be a more direct indicator of tissue involvement by inflammatory and infectious processes.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri," Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Doni
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Torri
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Landmann
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bottazzi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mantovani
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D016638:Critical Illness; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D018805:Sepsis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component / Q000378:metabolism*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D000099153:Pentraxins
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component; D000099153:Pentraxins