title: Plasma levels of soluble Axl correlate with severity of community-acquired pneumonia.
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the plasma level changes of soluble Axl (sAxl) prior to and following treatment with antibiotics in hospitalized adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), and to investigate the correlating clinical and laboratory manifestations of CAP with plasma sAxl levels. Blood samples were obtained from 61 adult CAP patients (prior to and following treatment with antibiotics) and 60 healthy controls in order to measure the plasma concentrations of sAxl using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The plasma-soluble Axl concentration level was markedly elevated in patients with CAP prior to treatment, compared with the controls, and decreased markedly following treatment. The levels of white blood cells, neutrophils, and C-reactive protein decreased markedly following treatment with antibiotics and did not correlate with the concentration level of sAxl. However, the plasma concentration of sAxl correlated with the severity of CAP with the pneumonia severity index score (r=0.350, P=0.006, n=61), the CURB-65 score (r=0.281, P=0.028, n=61) and the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score (r=0.313, P=0.014, n=61). In conclusion, plasma sAxl may be involved in the clinical assessment of the severity of CAP, which may guide the development of treatment strategies and predict the clinical outcome.
authors: Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors: Chung-Po
authors: CP
authors: Ko
authors: Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors: Yung-Luen
authors: YL
authors: Yu
authors: School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors: Pei-Ching
authors: PC
authors: Hsiao
authors: Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors: Shun-Fa
authors: SF
authors: Yang
authors: School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors: Chao-Bin
authors: CB
authors: Yeh
mesh_terms: D018806:APACHE; D000328:Adult; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000097:blood*; D003710:Demography; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000473:pathology; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000097:blood*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000097:blood*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012995:Solubility; D000094963:Axl Receptor Tyrosine Kinase
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D000094963:Axl Receptor Tyrosine Kinase; C000722289:AXL protein, human