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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #200321
Title: Neutrophils, nitric oxide, and microvascular permeability in severe sepsis

Author
item DHILLON, SAMJOT - BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MED
item MAHADEVAN, KARTHIK - BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MED
item BANDI, VEKATA - BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MED
item ZHENG, ZHILAN - BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MED
item Smith, Wayne
item RUMBAUT, ROLANDO - BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MED

Submitted to: Laboratory Publication
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/23/2005
Publication Date: 9/1/2005
Citation: Dhillon, S.S., Mahadevan, K., Bandi, V., Zheng, Z., Smith, C.W., Rumbaut, R.E. 2005. Neutrophils, nitric oxide, and microvascular permeability in severe sepsis. Chest. 128:1706-1712.

Interpretive Summary: This is a clinical study of the leakiness of blood capillaries (capillary permeability) in patients with severe sepsis. It demonstrates the use of a noninvasive technique to measure capillary permeability and found a correlation between capillary permeability and edema. This is an important demonstration of the value of a noninvasive technique to assess an important clinical sign of disease.

Technical Abstract: STUDY OBJECTIVES: Alterations in microvascular permeability are prevalent in patients with sepsis; a recent study reported that patients with septic shock had increased capillary filtration coefficient (Kf), a noninvasive index of microvascular permeability. We aimed to determine whether patients with severe sepsis had increased Kf, and whether the magnitude of Kf correlated with indexes of nitric oxide activity and neutrophil activation. DESIGN: Single-center, prospective study. SETTING: Twenty-five-bed ICU of a medical college-affiliated teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Fifteen ICU patients with severe sepsis based on the American College of Chest Physicians/Society of Critical Care Medicine consensus criteria of 1992, and 10 nonseptic ICU patients as control subjects. INTERVENTIONS: Kf was measured by venous congestion plethysmography, plasma nitrate/nitrite (NOx) by chemiluminescence, and neutrophil expression of alpha4-integrin (an index of neutrophil activation) by flow cytometry. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Septic patients had higher Kf than nonseptic control subjects. Kf of septic patients was 5.6 +/- 0.6 x 10(-3) mL.min(-1).100 mL tissue(-1).mm Hg(-1) (mean +/- SEM, mL.min(-1).100 mL tissue(-1).mm Hg(-1) = Kf units [KfU]) as compared to 3.9 +/- 0.5 x 10(-3) KfU in nonseptic ICU patients (p < 0.05). There was no correlation between plasma NOx and Kf, or between neutrophil alpha4-integrin expression and Kf in patients with sepsis. Septic patients with clinical evidence of edema had significantly higher Kf (p < 0.05) than nonedematous septic patients. CONCLUSIONS: ICU patients with severe sepsis have increased Kf, a noninvasive index of microvascular water permeability. The magnitude of hyperpermeability did not correlate with NOx levels or one index of neutrophil activation (alpha4-integrin expression). Presence of peripheral edema in these patients was associated with increased Kf, and may represent a simple, clinical indicator of altered microvascular permeability in sepsis.