title: Inflammation-associated changes in lipid composition and the organization of the erythrocyte membrane.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reduced erythrocyte survival and deformability may contribute to the so-called anemia of inflammation observed in septic patients. Erythrocyte structure and function are affected by both the membrane lipid composition and the organization. We therefore aimed to determine whether these parameters are affected during systemic inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sensitive matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometric method was used to investigate the effect of plasma components of 10 patients with septic shock and of 10 healthy volunteers subjected to experimental endotoxemia on erythrocyte membrane lipid composition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Incubation of erythrocytes from healthy control donors with plasma from patients with septic shock resulted in membrane phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis into lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC). Plasma from volunteers undergoing experimental human endotoxemia did not induce LPC formation. The secretory phospholipase A2 IIA concentration was enhanced up to 200-fold in plasma of septic patients and plasma from endotoxin-treated subjects, but did not correlate with the ability of these plasmas to generate LPC. Erythrocyte phosphatidylserine exposure increased up to two-fold during experimental endotoxemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Erythrocyte membrane lipid remodeling as reflected by LPC formation and/or PS exposure occurs during systemic inflammation in a secretory phospholipase A2 IIA-independent manner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sepsis-associated inflammation induces a lipid remodeling of the erythrocyte membrane that is likely to affect erythrocyte function and survival, and that is not fully mimicked by experimental endotoxemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Laboratory Medicine - Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sip
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dinkla
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lucas T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: van Eijk
authors.affiliation: University of Leipzig, Medical Faculty, Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.affiliation: University of Leipzig, Medical Faculty, Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schiller
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine - Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Irma
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Joosten
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brock
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pickkers
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Giel J C G M
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Bosman
keywords: Erythrocyte; Inflammation; Lipid metabolism; Lysophosphatidylcholine; Phosphatidylserine; Sepsis