Arteriovenous carboxyhemoglobin difference is not correlated to TNF-alpha, IL-6, PCT, CRP and leukocytes in critically ill patients.
BACKGROUND
It is still unclear as to whether the paradoxical arteriovenous carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) difference found in critical illness may represent a novel marker of the acute inflammatory response. We determined whether the arterial and central venous COHb concentration or their difference may be correlated to classical pro-inflammatory markers.


METHODS
Arterial and matched central venous blood gases were obtained from non-smoking intensive care patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery, and were correlated with plasma concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and leukocytes.


RESULTS
No correlation was found between arteriovenous COHb difference and the investigated pro-inflammatory mediators. While arterial and central venous COHb concentrations were positively correlated to plasma concentrations of TNF-alpha (P< or =0.01), IL-6 (P<0.05) and PCT (P< or =0.01), they were neither interrelated with PCT nor with leukocytes.


CONCLUSIONS
Arteriovenous COHb difference does not appear to be a marker of the acute inflammatory response. Future studies are needed to investigate whether arterial and central venous COHb concentrations by themselves may serve as indicators of systemic inflammation.
Eletr
Dina
D
Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
Reich
Alexander
A
Stubbe
Henning D
HD
Booke
Michael
M
Daudel
Fritz
F
Erren
Michael
M
Westphal
Martin
M
D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D016638:Critical Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002116:Calcitonin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide