Circulating chromogranin B levels in patients with acute respiratory failure: data from the FINNALI Study

Purpose: Circulating chromogranin B (CgB) levels are increased in situations characterized by systemic and myocardial stress, but whether CgB provides prognostic information in patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) is unknown.

Methods: We included 584 patients with ARF, defined as ventilatory support?>6?h, and with blood samples available on Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission and day 3 (n?=?479). CgB levels were measured by radioimmunoassay and follow-up was 90 days.

Results: One-hundred-sixty-nine patients (29%) died during follow-up. Admission CgB levels separated non-survivors from survivors: median 1234 (Q1-3 989–1742) vs. 917 (753–1224) pmol/L, respectively, p?<?0.001. CgB levels on ICU admission (logarithmically transformed) were associated with time to death after adjustment for established risk indices available on ICU admission, including N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic levels: HR 2.62 (95%C.I. 1.82–3.77), p?<?0.001. Admission CgB levels also improved prognostication on top of SOFA and SAPS II scores as assessed by Cox regression analyses and the category-free net reclassification index. The area under the curve (AUC) for admission CgB levels to separate survivors and non-survivors was 0.72 (95%CI 0.67–0.76), while the AUC on day 3 was 0.60 (0.54–0.66).

Conclusions: CgB levels measured on ICU admission provided additional prognostic information to established risk indices in ARF patients.     

Effects of growth-promoting antimicrobials on inhibition of Yersiniaenterocolitica O:3 by porcine ileal microflora

The survival of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:3 was examined in an in vitro model of the porcine ileum in the presence of normal ileal microflora using a medium supplemented with the growth-promoting antimicrobials avoparcin, spiramycin, tylosin, carbadox and olaquindox, or without any antimicrobials, at 39 °C for 5 d. Growth of Y. enterocolitica was inhibited in all trials in the following order: avoparcin < carbadox < spiramycin < no feed additives < tylosin < olaquindox. The media supplemented with avoparcin, carbadox and spiramycin supported the survival of Y. enterocolitica up to 5 d. When incubated with the normal ileal microflora without any growth-promoting antimicrobials, Y. enterocolitica could not be isolated after 4 d. With olaquindox and tylosin, Y. enterocolitica was not detected after 3 d.