PAF acetylhydrolase and arachidonic acid metabolite levels in patients with sepsis.

To examine the relationship between arachidonic acid metabolism and sepsis, we determined the blood concentration of platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAFAH) and of arachidonic acid cascade substances, leukotriene B4 (LTB4), thromboxane B2 (TXB2), and 6-keto-prostaglandin Fla (PGF1a), in patients with clinical sepsis. Blood concentrations of PAFAH, LTB4, TXB2 and PGF1a at the time of the initial diagnosis of sepsis were 23.9 +/- 9.

Plasma levels of TNF-alpha, endothelin-1 and thrombomodulin in patients with sepsis.

To investigate the roles of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and thrombomodulin (TM) in the plasma of patients with sepsis, plasma levels of endotoxin (Et), TNF-alpha, ET-1 and TM were determined in 30 such patients. Plasma levels of Et, TNF-alpha, ET-1 and TM at the time sepsis was diagnosed were 4.0 +/- 6.