title: Serum CXCL12 levels on hospital admission predict mortality in patients with severe sepsis/septic shock.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated serum levels of CXCL12 in patients with severe sepsis/septic shock and controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 27 patients admitted to our emergency department with severe sepsis/septic shock and 20 healthy controls. Complete blood count, serum levels of CXCL12, C-reactive protein, lactate, Charlson comorbidity index, sequential organ failure score on hospital admission, and inhospital mortality were evaluated at baseline (T0) and after 24 hours (T24).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean serum levels of CXCL12 were higher in patients with severe sepsis/septic shock than in healthy subjects (3121 vs 1991 pg/mL; P < .001). We also found that patient who survived had lower serum levels of CXCL12 than those who died (2630 vs 3957 pg/mL; P < .001) but still higher than controls (2630 vs 1991 pg/mL; P = .001) on admission. CXCL12 serum levels were higher in patients with serum lactate greater than 4 mmol/L.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest a possible role for CXCL12 as a prognostic marker in severe sepsis/septic shock and give background evidence for larger trials to evaluate the pathophysiologic and clinical role of CXCL12 in sepsis, with respect to other markers of inflammation and hypoxia.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: franchini.stefano@hsr.it.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Franchini
authors.affiliation: Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Teodoro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Marcianò
authors.affiliation: Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sorlini
authors.affiliation: Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campochiaro
authors.affiliation: Unit of Medicine and Clinical Immunology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Moreno
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tresoldi
authors.affiliation: Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Unit of Medicine and Clinical Immunology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Sabbadini
authors.affiliation: Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Unit of Medicine and Clinical Immunology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: lorenzo.dagna@unisr.it.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dagna
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12 / Q000097:blood*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C515255:CXCL12 protein, human; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D019344:Lactic Acid