title: Soluble CD163: A novel biomarker for the susceptibility to sepsis in severe burn injuries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Soluble CD163 (sCD163) has been previously shown to play a role in inflammatory and infectious diseases. This study, for the first time, investigates the characteristics and potential values of sCD163 in burn patients. A first look is taken on the changes of sCD163 levels in burn patients by comparing predefined subgroups at single time points.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples of 18 patients with burn injuries were collected for biochemical analysis at the time of admission and in a chronological sequence of 12, 24, 48 and 120 h after the injury and were matched to clinical parameters. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney test, Wilcoxon signed rank and Pearson bivariate correlation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with sepsis showed a significant increase of sCD163 levels. sCD163 was correlated with leukocytes (P=0.035) over the time course of 120 h. Patients characterized by a burn size exceeding 25% of the total body surface area (TBSA) showed a significant increase of sCD163 between 12 and 48 h after burn injury (P=0.038).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The first view on the characteristics of sCD163 in the serum of burn patients points out that sCD163 seems to be an early indicator for the susceptibility to sepsis. Furthermore, the changes in sCD163 serum levels within the first hours after burn trauma have great potential for early prediction of organ failure after burn injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, Burn Unit of the RWTH University Hospital in Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piatkowski
authors.forename: Gerrit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grieb
authors.forename: Rittuparna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ulrich
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pallua