title: Association of cell-free plasma DNA with hospital mortality and organ dysfunction in intensive care unit patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the concentration of cell-free plasma DNA and its association with organ dysfunction and hospital mortality in intensive care unit patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study in a medical and two medical-surgical intensive care units in a university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  228 critically ill patients admitted to the ICUs between January 2004 and July 2005.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Blood samples were collected as soon as possible after ICU admission, the following morning, and 48[Symbol: see text]h after the second sample. The cell-free plasma DNA was measured by real-time quantitative PCR assay for the beta-globin gene. Physiological and mortality data were collected to the clinical database. Hospital mortality rate and SOFA scores were primary outcome measures. The maximum plasma DNA concentrations were correlated significantly with APACHE II points and with maximum SOFA scores. Cell-free plasma DNA concentrations were higher in hospital non-survivors than in survivors (median 9,366 vs. 6,506 GE/ml). Using logistic regression analysis, the maximum plasma DNA was an independent predictor of hospital mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The maximum plasma DNA concentration measured during the first 96[Symbol: see text]h of intensive care is associated with the degree of organ dysfunction and disease severity. Moreover, the maximum DNA concentration is independently associated with hospital mortality.
authors.affiliation: Helsinki University Central Hospital, Emergency Care, Department of Medicine, PO Box 340, 00029 Helsinki, Finland. katri.saukkonen@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Katri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saukkonen
authors.forename: Päivi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lakkisto
authors.forename: Marjut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varpula
authors.forename: Tero
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Varpula
authors.forename: Liisa-Maria
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Voipio-Pulkki
authors.forename: Ville
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pettilä
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pulkki
mesh_terms: D018806:APACHE; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D016638:Critical Illness; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000097:blood; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D004247:DNA