HDL inflammatory index correlates with and predicts severity of organ failure in patients with sepsis and septic shock.

Objective: High density lipoprotein (HDL) is important for defense against sepsis but becomes dysfunctional (Dys-HDL) during inflammation. We hypothesize that Dys-HDL correlates with organ dysfunction (sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score) early sepsis.

Methods: A prospective cohort study of adult ED sepsis patients enrolled within 24 hours.

Results: Eighty eight patients were analyzed. Dys-HDL (expressed as HDL inflammatory index (HII)) correlated with SOFA at enrollment (r = 0.23, p = 0.024) and at 48 hours (r = 0.24, p = 0.026) but HII change over the first 48 hours did not correlate with change in SOFA (r = 0.06, p = 0.56). Enrollment HII was significantly different in patients with most severe organ failure (2.31, IQR 1.33-5.2) compared to less severe organ failure (1.81, IQR 1.23-2.64, p = 0.043). Change in HII over 48 hours was significantly different for in-hospital non-survivors (-0.45, IQR-2.6, -0.14 p = 0.015) and for 28-day non-survivors (-1.12, IQR -1.52, 0.12, p = 0.044). In a multivariable linear regression equation (R2 = 0.13), for each unit HII increase, 48-hour SOFA increased by 0.72 (p = 0.009).

Conclusion: HII correlated with SOFA and predicted 48-hour SOFA score in early sepsis. Future studies are needed to delineate potential mechanisms.

Trial Registration: NCT02370186. Registered February 24, 2015.