Early increase of VEGF-A is associated with resolution of ventilator-associated pneumonia: Clinical and experimental evidence.

Background And Objective: The role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A in the resolution of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) was investigated in clinical and mouse pneumonia models.

Methods: VEGF-A was measured for seven consecutive days by an immunosorbent assay in sera of 82 patients with VAP and changes from baseline were correlated with the resolution of VAP. Experimental animals were challenged intratracheally with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Early alterations of the innate and adaptive immune statuses in sepsis according to the type of underlying infection.

Introduction: Although major changes of the immune system have been described in sepsis, it has never been studied whether these may differ in relation to the type of underlying infection or not. This was studied for the first time.

Methods: The statuses of the innate and adaptive immune systems were prospectively compared in 505 patients.