title: Identification of neutrophil extracellular traps in the blood of patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neutrophils are able to form 'neutrophil extracellular traps' (NETs), which they use to trap and kill pathogens such as bacteria and fungi at the foci of infection. This observational study investigated the presence of NETs in the blood from critically ill patients and healthy volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fluorescent triple-colour immunocytochemical analysis of blood smears collected from patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS; associated with various clinical conditions) who had been hospitalized in the intensive care unit, and healthy volunteers, was undertaken to identify NETs in the blood. Blood smears were stained for DNA, histone H1 and neutrophil elastase.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NETs were identified in 10 of 21 (47.6%) blood samples from the study group compared with none of the blood samples from eight healthy volunteers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that fluorescent triple-colour immunocytochemical staining of NETs in the blood could be used to simplify the early identification of critically ill patients with SIRS. Larger studies are required to clarify the pathophysiological role of NETs in this specific patient population.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infection Control and Prevention, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeto
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamaguchi
authors.forename: Tomoya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Yukihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akeda
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Irisawa
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hosotsubo
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tasaki
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oishi
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimazu
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tomono
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D021961:Cell Membrane Structures / Q000378:metabolism*; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism*; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*