Purpose: Adrenomedullin is released by different tissues in hypoxia, oxidative stress, and inflammation and is found in general and medical patients and, recently, in sepsis patients in emergency departments. The aim of this study was to evaluate biologically active adrenomedullin that mirrors directly the active peptide levels in plasma of surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients with sepsis.
Materials And Methods: In this single-center observational pilot trial, 42 ICU patients with sepsis and 14 patients after major surgery were included after sepsis diagnosis or ICU admission.
Nearly 100 years ago, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were identified as an important part of innate immunity. They exist in species from bacteria to mammals and can be isolated in body fluids and on surfaces constitutively or induced by inflammation. Defensins have anti-bacterial effects against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as anti-viral and anti-yeast effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMyocardial dysfunction in sepsis has been linked to inflammation caused by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) as well as by host danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). These include soluble heparan sulfate (HS), which triggers the devastating consequences of the pro-inflammatory cascades in severe sepsis and septic shock. Thus, there is increasing interest in the development of anti-infective agents, with effectiveness against both PAMPs and DAMPs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZinc is crucial for immune function. In addition, the redistribution of zinc and other nutrients due to infection is an integral part of the host immune response to limit availability to pathogens. However, the major zinc binding protein albumin is down regulated during the acute phase response, implicating a decrease in zinc binding capacity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Increasing rates of multi-resistant bacteria are a major problem in the treatment of critically ill patients. Furthermore, conventional antibiotics lead to the release of bacterial derived membrane parts initiating pro-inflammatory cascades with potential harm to the patient. Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) may kill bacteria without releasing pro-inflammatory factors.
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