title: [The use of plasma lactoferrin in the diagnosis of pyonecrotic infections of soft tissues and sepsis].
abstract: Plasma lactoferrin dynamics was investigated in 120 of the 2250 patients with local and generalized soft tissue infections. Systemic symptoms were observed in 15% of the patients with soft tissue infections, syndrome of systemic inflammatory response in 13%, and sepsis in 42%. In 89% of the patients with systemic inflammatory reactions the blood lactoferrin level was 1.1-1.3 times the normal one within 72 hours after the onset of therapy; it dropped to the normal value in 12-15 days. Normalization of blood lactoferrin in patients with mild and moderate systemic inflammatory reactions roughly coincided with the disappearance of symptoms of generalized infection. It occurred 5-6 days after the septic process was resolved in patients with severe inflammatory reactions. Normal blood lactoferrin levels were characteristic of a mild inflammatory reaction and local forms of infection. A rise in blood lactoferrin above 1400 ng/ml combined with the syndrome of systemic inflammatory reaction over 72 hr in duration was regarded as a diagnostic criterion of sepsis. It is suggested that monitoring blood lactoferrin during treatment of systemic inflammatory reactions and sepsis be used for the choice of therapeutic strategy and the assessment of efficiency of its efficiency.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Barkhatova
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000097:blood*; D009336:Necrosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007781:Lactoferrin