title: Dynamic changes in amino acid concentration profiles in patients with sepsis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this work was to explore the dynamic concentration profiles of 42 amino acids and the significance of these profiles in relation to sepsis, with the aim of providing guidance for clinical therapies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five critically ill patients with sepsis were included. These patients were further divided into sepsis (12 cases) and severe sepsis (23 cases) groups or survivor (20 cases) and non-survivor (15 cases) groups. Serum samples from the patients were collected on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14 following intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and the serum concentrations of 42 amino acids were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The metabolic spectrum of the amino acids changed dramatically in patients with sepsis. As the disease progressed further or with poor prognosis, the levels of the different amino acids gradually increased, decreased, or fluctuated over time. The concentrations of sulfur-containing amino acids (SAAs), especially taurine, decreased significantly as the severity of sepsis worsened or with poor prognosis of the patient. The serum concentrations of SAAs, especially taurine, exhibited weak negative correlations with the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) (r=-0.319) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II (r=-0.325) scores. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of cystine, taurine, and SAA levels and the SOFA and APACHE II scores, which denoted disease prognosis, were 0.623, 0.674, 0.678, 0.86, and 0.857, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Critically ill patients with disorders of amino acid metabolism, especially of SAAs such as cystine and taurine, may provide an indicator of the need for the nutritional support of sepsis in the clinic.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrial.gov identifier NCT01818830.
authors: Department of Respiratory Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China; Department of Critical Care Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors: Longxiang
authors: L
authors: Su
authors: Clinical Metabolomics Platform, BGI Health, BGI Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.
authors: Hua
authors: H
authors: Li
authors: Clinical Metabolomics Platform, BGI Health, BGI Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.
authors: Aimei
authors: A
authors: Xie
authors: Department of Respiratory Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China; Medical School, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Liu
authors: Clinical Metabolomics Platform, BGI Health, BGI Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.
authors: Weiqiao
authors: W
authors: Rao
authors: Clinical Metabolomics Platform, BGI Health, BGI Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.
authors: Liping
authors: L
authors: Lan
authors: Clinical Metabolomics Platform, BGI Health, BGI Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.
authors: Xuan
authors: X
authors: Li
authors: Clinical Metabolomics Platform, BGI Health, BGI Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.
authors: Fang
authors: F
authors: Li
authors: Department of Respiratory Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors: Kun
authors: K
authors: Xiao
authors: Department of Respiratory Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors: Huijuan
authors: H
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Respiratory Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors: Peng
authors: P
authors: Yan
authors: Clinical Division of Internal Medicine, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Li
authors: Department of Respiratory Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors: Lixin
authors: L
authors: Xie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood*; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids