Serum soluble-Fas is a predictor of red blood cell transfusion in critically ill patients.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relation between the need for red blood cell transfusion and serum levels of soluble-Fas, erythropoietin and inflammatory cytokines in critically ill patients with and without acute kidney injury.


METHODS
We studied critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (n=30) and without acute kidney injury (n=13), end-stage renal disease patients on hemodialysis (n=25) and healthy subjects (n=21). Serum levels of soluble-Fas, erythropoietin, interleukin 6, interleukin 10, iron status, hemoglobin and hematocrit concentration were analyzed in all groups. The association between these variables in critically ill patients was investigated.


RESULTS
Critically ill patients (acute kidney injury and non-acute kidney injury patients) had higher serum levels of erythropoietin than the other groups. Hemoglobin concentration was lower in the acute kidney injury patients than in other groups. Serum soluble-Fas levels were higher in acute kidney injury and end-stage renal disease patients. Critically ill patients requiring red blood cell transfusions had higher serum levels of soluble-Fas (5,906±2,047 and 1,920±1,060; p<0.001), interleukin 6 (518±537 and 255+502; p=0.02) and interleukin 10 (35.8±30.7 and 18.5±10.9; p=0.02), better iron status and higher mortality rates in the first 28 days in intensive care unit. Serum soluble-Fas levels were independently associated with the number of red blood cell units transfused (p=0.02). Serum soluble-Fas behaved as an independent predictor of the need for red blood cell transfusion in critically ill patients (p=0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Serum soluble-Fas level is an independent predictor of the need for red blood cell transfusion in critically ill patients with or without acute kidney injury. Further studies are warranted to reconfirm this finding.
Ilana Levy
IL
Korkes
Gustavo
G
Schvartsman
Ilson Jorge
IJ
Lizuka
Beata Marie
BM
Quinto
Maria Aparecida
MA
Dalboni
Maria Eugênia
ME
Canziani
Sergio Antonio
SA
Draibe
Virgilio Gonçalves
VG
Pereira
Bento Fortunato Cardoso Dos
BF
Santos
Julio Cesar Martins
JC
Monte
Marcelino de Souza
Mde S
Durão Junior
Marcelo Costa
MC
Batista
Oscar Fernando Pavão Dos
OF
Santos
Miguel Angelo de
MA
Góes Junior
Miguel
M
Cendoroglo Neto
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016638:Critical Illness; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; C491901:FAS protein, human; D007378:Interleukins; D019014:fas Receptor; D004921:Erythropoietin