title: Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein: a new biomarker for infectious endocarditis?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infectious endocarditis (IE) is a bacterial infection of the endocardium. Diagnosis is based on results obtained from echocardiography, blood cultures, and molecular genetic screening for bacteria and on data for inflammatory markers such as the leukocyte (WBC) count and the C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration. The aim of the present study was to evaluate lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) as a supportive biomarker for the diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of IE.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured LBP and CRP concentrations and WBC counts in 57 IE patients at hospital admission, 40 patients with noninfectious heart valve diseases (HVDs), and 55 healthy blood donors. The progression of these 3 markers and the influence of cardiac surgery on them were evaluated in 29 IE patients and 21 control patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum LBP concentrations were significantly higher in IE patients [mean (SD), 33.41 (32.10) mg/L] compared with HVD patients [6.67 (1.82) mg/L, P < 0.0001] and healthy control individuals [5.61 (1.20) mg/L]. The progression in the LBP concentration during therapy of IE patients correlated with the changes in the CRP concentration. The 2 markers were equally influenced by antibiotic treatment and surgical intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serial LBP measurement may provide an effective and useful tool for evaluating the response to therapy in IE patients. We found a strong correlation between LBP and CRP concentrations; LBP has a tendency to increase earlier in cases of reinfection.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Laboratoriums- und Transfusionsmedizin, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vollmer
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Piper
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kleesiek
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dreier
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000097:blood* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D000099231:Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D000099231:Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein