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Increased concentrations of procollagen type III peptide in the evolution of septic phenomenon. An indicator of organ damage and fibrinogenesis? (Preliminary data results)

The systemic response to infection is defined as septic phenomenon. By its definition is a generalized inflammatory process and during its progression every organ and system can potentially be impaired. Its progression is associated with and mediated by the activation of a number of host defense mechanisms (cytokine networks, activation of leukocytes, etc) and is characterized by many organ damages mediated by this 'whole body inflammation'. Procollagen type III peptide (PIIIP), as marker of collagen type III biosynthesis and turnover, directly indicates collagen synthesis and seems to be a good marker of many fibrosing, destructive or healing processes. However, serum concentrations of PIIIP have never been systematically measured in patients with graded sepsis We hypothesized that procollagen type III peptide serum levels might be also of value in estimating the 'whole body inflammation and damage' appeared in sepsis. This study was undertaken to test the aforementioned hypothesis. We measured, by a commercially available radioimmunoassay (ELISA) technique, the serum procollagen type III peptide levels of 51 septic patients (pts) (22 pts with sepsis [group G1], 12 severe sepsis pts [group G2], 17 pts with septic shock [group G3]) and we compared them with the findings of 12 healthy controls (group H). The definition of the stages of sepsis followed the criteria established by the ACCP/SCCM consensus conference (August 1992). We use one-way ANOVA to compare the results from sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock patients with the ones from healthy controls. Procollagen type III peptide serum levels was markedly increased during the septic process: group H 3.7 ± 0.2 μg/ml, group G1 10.1 ± 1 μg/ml, group G2 30 ± 6.2 μg/ml, group G3 34 ± 8.1 μg/ml (P < 0.005 - one-way ANOVA), and was to be of statistically significant value when group H and group G1 compared with group G3 (P < 0.05 and P < 0.005 respectively) (Sheffe test for the post hoc comparisons of means). We conclude that PIIIP serum levels increased in parallel with the increasing severity of septic process, probably being a good indicator of tissue inflammation, damage, and fibrogenesis.

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Mavrommatis, A., Papanicolaou, S., Kostadelou, E. et al. Increased concentrations of procollagen type III peptide in the evolution of septic phenomenon. An indicator of organ damage and fibrinogenesis? (Preliminary data results). Crit Care 5 (Suppl 1), P054 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1186/cc1122

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/cc1122

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