title: Serial monitoring of interleukin-1beta, soluble interleukin-2 receptor and lipopolysaccharide binding protein levels after death A comparative evaluation of potential postmortem markers of sepsis.
abstract: We prospectively monitored the postmortem course of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) in septic and non-septic fatalities to evaluate their potential as biochemical postmortem markers of sepsis. Serum concentrations were determined by chemiluminescent immunometric assays. In both the sepsis group and the control group a postmortem increase of IL-1beta levels with the progression of time after death was observed, in both groups mainly starting from the reference concentration of healthy individuals (5 pg/ml) and with no significant differences at later time points postmortem. SIL-2R (reference limit 1,000 U/ml) was highly elevated in all individuals included in the sepsis group at all time points postmortem with statistically significant differences between the sepsis and control groups (p<0.01). An excessive postmortem decrease of sIL-2R serum levels associated with progression of time after death was observed in all cases included in the sepsis group in contrast to just 1 out of 16 control cases. LBP (reference limit <10 g/ml) was elevated in all sepsis cases whereas in the control group LBP levels were below 10 microg/ml in 88%. The postmortem time course of LBP serum concentrations showed a continuous increase in both the sepsis and control groups. We conclude that sIL-2R and LBP seem to represent appropriate diagnostic tools for the postmortem diagnosis of sepsis in forensic autopsy practice. sIL-2R serum levels above 1,000 U/ml and LBP serum levels above 10 microg/ml in peripheral venous blood obtained in the early postmortem interval can be regarded as diagnostic hints for an underlying septic condition in a deceased person.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany. reichelt@uke.uni-hamburg.de
authors.forename: Uta
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Reichelt
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nierhaus
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsokos
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors; D000099231:Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D007375:Interleukin-1; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D000099231:Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein