Treatment with recombinant human activated protein C: one size does not fit all.
Protein C plays an important role in the coagulopathy associated with sepsis and probably also in the pathogenesis of sepsis-induced organ dysfunction. Plasma levels of protein C strongly correlate with clinical outcome in patients with severe sepsis. The RESPOND (Research Evaluating Serial Protein C Levels in Severe Sepsis Patients on Drotrecogin Alfa [Activated]) study shows that administration of recombinant human activated protein C in patients with severe sepsis with alternative dose regimens adjusted to plasma levels of protein C results in higher plasma levels of protein C. This may potentially translate to a better clinical outcome in patients with severe sepsis, although that was not directly shown in this trial.
Department of Vascular Medicine and Internal Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.m.levi@amc.uva.nl
Marcel
M
Levi
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011486:Protein C / Q000378:metabolism*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy*
D011486:Protein C
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