Plasma fibrinolysis is related to the degree of organ dysfunction but not to the concentration of von Willebrand Factor in critically ill patients.
BACKGROUND
Endothelial cell dysfunction, by promoting fibrin deposition, has been implicated in the development of multiple organ failure. Altered fibrinolysis during inflammation may participate in microvascular alterations. We sought to determine whether plasma fibrinolysis was related to the severity of organ dysfunction and/or to the levels of von Willebrand factor (vWF antigen), as a marker of endothelium dysfunction, in critically ill patients.


METHODS
Forty-nine consecutive patients admitted to an adult medico-surgical intensive care unit (ICU) with (18) or without sepsis (31) were included. C-reactive protein and vWF levels were measured on ICU admission and plasma fibrinolysis was assessed by the Euglobulin Clot Lysis Time (ECLT). The sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score and the simplified acute physiology score (SAPS) II were calculated on admission.


RESULTS
ECLT was significantly longer in septic than in non-septic patients [1033 min (871-1372) versus 665 min (551-862), p = 0.001]. There were significant correlations between ECLT and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations (r = 0.78, p < 0.001) and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (r = 0.39, p = 0.006). The level of vWF was not correlated with the ECLT (r = -0.06, p = 0.65) or the SOFA score (r = -0.02, p = 0.88).


CONCLUSIONS
ECLT measurement at admission could be a marker of organ dysfunction and a prognostic indicator in critically ill patients.
Boudjeltia
Karim Zouaoui
KZ
Experimental Medicine Laboratory (ULB 222 Unit), CHU-Charleroi, Vesale Hospital, 6110-Montigny-le-Tilleul, Belgium. kaveroes@hotmail.com.
Ollieuz
Sandra
S
Piagnerelli
Michael
M
Biston
Patrick
P
Cauchie
Philippe
P
Vincent
Jean-Louis
JL
Brohee
Dany
D
Vanhaeverbeek
Michel
M