Telomere shortening during human septic shock: influence of sepsis mediators, role in organ failures, and septic myocardial dysfunction

Table 1 Characteristics of patients with septic shock according to leucocyte telomere length at day 1 (n = 55)

	Lower LTL (n = 27)	Higher LTL (n = 28)	P value
Clinical characteristics and comorbidities
Age (years)	64 [53–74]	64 [49–72]	0.60
Male gender, n (%)	20 (74%)	12 (43%)	0.02
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	0 (%)	1 (4%)	> 0.99
Chronic kidney disease requiring long-term dialysis	2 (7%)	2 (7%)	0.97
Liver cirrhosis	4 (15%)	3 (11%)	> 0.99
Mc Cabe and Jackson class			0.49
0	11 (39%)	12 (43%)
1	10 (37%)	13 (46%)
2	6 (21%)	3 (11%)
SAPS II at ICU admission	50 [41–79]	59 [39–79]	0.83
Community acquired infection	13 (48%)	16 (57%)	0.50
Lung source of infection	14 (52%)	13 (46%)	0.69
Bacteraemia	11 (41%)	13 (46%)	0.67
Surgery	6 (27%)	4 (16%)	0.48
Organ failures
Sequential organ failure assessment score	10 [8–13]	11 [8–13]	0.83
Arterial lactates (mmol/L)	2.9 [1.5–5.5]	2.9 [1.4–4.9]	0.87
PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio (mmHg)	164 [115–350]	188 [109–260]	0.79
Serum creatinine (mmol/L)	201 [84–338]	164 [84–264]	0.35
Septic myocardial dysfunction	10 (37%)	9 (32%)	0.70
Outcome
Mechanical ventilation	25 (93%)	24 (86%)	0.67
Dialysis for acute renal failure	6 (22%)	4 (14%)	0.50
ARDS	18 (67%)	13 (46%)	0.18
ICU acquired infection	12 (43%)	9 (32%)	0.41
Death in ICU	15 (55%)	13 (46%)	0.49
Death in hospital	15 (55%)	16 (46%)	> 0.99

The telomere repeat copy number to single-gene copy number (T/S) ratio was determined using the comparative Ct method (T/S = 2^−ΔΔCt) with 36B4 gene for normalization (acidic ribosomal phosphoprotein PO, a single-copy gene). Data are number (percentage) or median [first quartile-third quartile]
LTL leucocyte telomere length, SAPS simplified acute physiology score, PaO₂ partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood, FiO₂ fraction of inspired oxygen, ARDS acute respiratory distress syndrome, ICU intensive care unit

ISSN: 1364-8535