Luminal concentrations of L- and D-lactate in the rectum may relate to severity of disease and outcome in septic patients

Table 3 Concentrations of L- and D-lactate in rectal lumen and plasma in septic patients and healthy subjects

	Non-survivors^a (n = 11)	Survivors^a (n = 12)	Healthy subjects (n = 11)
Luminal L-lactate (mmol/l)	5.0^b (0.9 to 11.8)	2.2 (0.4 to 4.9)	0.5 (0 to 1.6)
Plasma L-lactate (mmol/l)	3.8^{c, d} (1.7 to 7.0)	1.6^e (0.5 to 3.6)	1.8 (0.8 to 3.1)
Δ-L-lactate, lumen – plasma (mmol/l)	0.8 (-3.4 to 4.7)	0.5 (-1.1 to 3.5)	-1.5^f (-2.5 to -0.3)
Luminal D-lactate (mmol/l)	1.1^g (0.3 to 2.5)	0.4 (0 to 1.2)	0.1 (0 to 0.8)
Plasma D-lactate (mmol/l)	0.4^{c, h} (0.1 to 0.7)	0.3^{e, h} (0 to 0.6)	0.03 (0 to 0.13)
Δ-D-lactate, lumen – plasma (mmol/l)	0.8 (-0.3 to 2.2)	0.1 (-0.3 to 0.7)	0.01 (-0.13 to 0.2)

Values are given as means (ranges). ^aSurvival analysis is based on data from day 28 after study. ^bP < 0.0001 by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) after log₁₀ transformation with positive linear trend, P < 0.0001. ^cOnly values from eight patients are given (see Materials and methods). ^dP < 0.01 compared with survivors by unpaired t test. ^eOnly values from 10 patients are given (see Materials and methods). ^fValue different from 0 by one-sample t test, P = 0.02. ^gP = 0.01 by one-way ANOVA with positive linear trend P = 0.04. ^hP < 0.01 versus healthy subjects by unpaired t test.

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