| Abstract: | Despite major improvements in its treatment and diagnosis, sepsis is still a leading
cause of death and admittance to the intensive care unit (ICU). Failure to identify
patients at high risk of developing septic shock contributes to an increase in the
sepsis burden and rapid molecular tests are currently the most promising avenue to
aid in patient risk determination and therapeutic anticipation. The primary goal of
this study was to evaluate the genetic susceptibility that affects sepsis outcome in
72 sepsis patients admitted to the ICU. Seven polymorphisms were genotyped in key
inflammatory response genes in sepsis, including tumour necrosis
factor-α, interlelukin (IL)-1β, IL-10,
IL-8, Toll-like receptor 4,
CXCR1 and CXCR2. The primary finding showed that
patients who were homozygous for the major A allele in IL-10
rs1800896 had almost five times higher chance to develop septic shock compared to
heterozygotes. Similarly, selected clinical features and CXCR2
rs1126579 single nucleotide polymorphisms modulated septic shock susceptibility
without affecting survival. These data support the hypothesis that molecular testing
has clinical usefulness to improve sepsis prognostic models. Therefore, enrichment of
the ICU portfolio by including these biomarkers will aid in the early identification
of sepsis patients who may develop septic shock. |
