[Value of the protein profile in the diagnosis of infectious endocarditis when hemolysis is present].

Purpose: Haptoglobin (H) and orosomucoid (O) are acute phase proteins that increase in a parallel manner. When hemolysis and inflammation are both present, study of the O-H couple on the protein profile may reveal an unknown hemolysis.

Methods: To determine if hemolysis is more frequent during infectious endocarditis than during septicemia without valvulopathy or during valvulopathy without septicemia. Study of three groups of patients: 26 patients with infectious endocarditis, 13 patients with septicemia and 36 patients with valvulopathy without septicemia. Studied parameters were the O-H couple, hemoglobin and rate of O.

Results: Hemolysis is clear in patients with endocarditis. The difference O-H is significantly more important during endocarditis than during septicemia without valvulopathy (P < 0.001) and during valvulopathy without sepsis (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Study of the O-H couple may be useful for the diagnosis of endocarditis showing a difficult-to-diagnose hemolysis.