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.
Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
Dina
D
Eletr
Alexander
A
Reich
Henning D
HD
Stubbe
Michael
M
Booke
Fritz
F
Daudel
Michael
M
Erren
Martin
M
Westphal
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