Serum tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 levels are associated with mortality in patients with malignant middle cerebral artery infarction

Background: In the last years, circulating matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-9 levels have been associated with functional outcome in ischemic stroke patients. However the prognostic value of circulating levels of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1 and MMP-10 in functional outcome of ischemic stroke patients has been scarcely studied. In addition, to our knowledge, serum MMP-9, MMP-10 and TIMP-1 levels in patients with malignant middle cerebral artery infarction (MMCAI) for mortality prediction have not been studied, and these were the objectives of this study. Methods: This was a multicenter, observational and prospective study carried out in six Spanish Intensive Care Units. We included patients with severe MMCAI defined as Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) lower than 9. We measured circulating levels of MMP-9, MMP-10, TIMP-1, in 50 patients with severe MMCAI at diagnosis and in 50 healthy subjects. Endpoint was 30-day mortality. Results: Patients with severe MMCAI showed higher serum levels of MMP-9 (p = 0.001), MMP-10 (p 239 ng/mL are associated with 30-day mortality (OR = 5.82; 95 % CI = 1.37-24.73; P = 0.02) controlling for GCS and age. The area under the curve for TIMP-1 as predictor of 30-day mortality was 0.81 (95 % CI = 0.67-0.91; P < 0.001). We found an association between circulating levels of TIMP-1 and MMP-10 (rho = 0.45; P = 0.001), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 (rho = 0.53; P < 0.001), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha (rho = 0.70; P < 0.001). Conclusions: The most relevant and new findings of our study, were that serum TIMP-1 levels in MMCAI patients were associated with mortality, and could be used as a prognostic biomarker of mortality in MMCAI patients

Association between Serum Soluble CD154 Levels and Mortality in Patients with Malignant Middle Cerebral Artery Infarction

Background: CD154 and its soluble counterpart (sCD154) are proteins of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family and exhibit proinflamatory and procoagulant properties. Higher circulating sCD154 levels have been found in ischemic stroke patients than in controls. However, the association between circulating sCD154 levels and mortality in ischemic stroke patients has not been reported, and was the focus of this study. Methods: This was a multicenter, observational and prospective study carried out in six Spanish Intensive Care Units. We measured serum sCD154 from 50 patients with severe malignant middle cerebral artery infarction (MMCAI), defined as Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) lower than 9, at the moment of the severe MMCAI diagnosis and from 50 healthy controls. The end-point of the study was 30-day mortality. Results: We found higher serum sCD154 levels in patients with severe MMCAI than in healthy controls (p &lt; 0.001). We found higher serum sCD154 levels (p &lt; 0.001) in non-surviving (n = 26) than in surviving MMCAI patients (n = 24). Multiple binomial logistic regression analysis showed that serum sCD154 levels &gt;1.41 ng/mmL were associated with 30-day mortality (OR = 10.25; 95% CI = 2.34–44.95; p = 0.002). Conclusions: The new more important finding of our study was that serum sCD154 levels in MMCAI patients were associated with mortality

Serum levels of caspase-cleaved cytokeratin-18 in patients with severe traumatic brain injury are associated with mortality: a pilot study.

There have been found apoptotic changes in brain tissue samples from animals and humans after a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The protein cytokeratin 18 (CK-18), present in epithelial cells, is cleaved by the action of caspases during apoptosis, and the resulting fragments are released into the blood as caspase-cleaved CK (CCCK)-18. Circulating levels of CCCK-18, as biomarker of apoptosis, have been determined in patients with different processes; however, it has not been explored in TBI patients. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine whether there is an association between serum CCCK-18 levels and mortality and whether such levels could be used as a biomarker to predict outcomes in TBI patients.A prospective, observational, multicenter study carried out in six Spanish Intensive Care Units. We included patients with severe TBI defined as Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) lower than 9; and were excluded those patients with Injury Severity Score (ISS) in non-cranial aspects higher than 9. We measured serum CCCK-18 levels at admission. The end-point of the study was 30-day mortality.Surviving patients (n = 73) showed lower serum CCCK-18 levels (P = 0.003) than non-survivors (n = 27). On ROC analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) for serum CCCK-18 levels as predictor of 30-day mortality was 0.69 (95% CI = 0.59-0.78; P = 0.006). We found in survival analysis that patients with serum CCCK-18 higher than 201 u/L had higher 30-day mortality than patients with lower levels (Hazard ratio = 3.9; 95% CI = 1.81-8.34; P<0.001). Regression analyses showed that serum CCCK-18 levels higher than 201 u/L were associated with 30-day mortality (OR = 8.476; 95% CI = 2.087-34.434; P = 0.003) after controlling for age and GCS.The novel finding of our study was that serum CCCK-18 levels are associated with 30-day mortality and could be used as a prognostic biomarker in patients with severe TBI

Prognostic value of malondialdehyde serum levels in severe sepsis: a multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: The oxidant/antioxidant state in septic patients has only been studied in small series. We wished to determine whether malondialdehyde (MDA) serum levels were associated with severity and 30-day mortality in a large series of patients with sepsis. METHODS: We performed an observational, prospective, multicenter study in six Spanish Intensive Care Units. Serum levels of MDA were measured in a total of 228 patients (145 survivors and 83 non-survivors) with severe sepsis and 100 healthy controls. RESULTS: Serum levels of MDA were higher in severe septic patients than in healthy controls. Non-surviving septic patients had higher MDA values than survivors. MDA serum levels were associated with severity markers (lactic acid, SOFA, APACHE-II) and coagulation indices. Regression analysis showed that MDA serum levels were associated with 30-day survival (Hazard ratio = 1.05; 95% confidence interval = 1.009-1.091; p = 0.016). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the area under curve of MDA serum levels to predict 30-day survival was 0.62 (95% CI = 0.56-0.69; P = 0.002). The risk of death in septic patients with MDA serum levels above 4.11 nmol/mL was higher than in patients with lower values (Hazard Ratio = 2.43; 95% CI = 1.49-3.94; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The novel findings of our study on severe septic patients, to our knowledge the largest series providing data on the oxidative state, are that elevated MDA serum levels probably represent an unbalanced oxidant state and are related with poor prognosis in patients with severe sepsis