IL-6 rs1800795 polymorphism is associated with septic shock-related death in patients who underwent major surgery: a preliminary retrospective study.

Background: Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, being the primary cause of death from infection, especially if not recognized and treated promptly. The aim of this study was to analyze whether IL-6 rs1800795 polymorphism is associated with septic shock-related death in European white patients who underwent major surgery.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study on 202 septic shock patients who underwent major cardiac or abdominal surgery.

IL-1B rs16944 polymorphism is related to septic shock and death.

Background: IL-1β is a primary mediator of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and it may lead to shock septic. Our aim was to analyse whether IL-1B rs16944 polymorphism is associated with the onset of septic shock and death after major surgery.

Materials And Methods: We performed a case-control study on 467 patients who underwent major cardiac or abdominal surgery.

Procalcitonin cannot be used as a biomarker of infection in heart surgery patients with acute kidney injury.

Purpose: We intended to assess how acute kidney injuy impacts on procalcitonin levels in cardiac surgery patients, with or without infection, and whether procalcitonin might be used as a biomarker of infection in acute kidney injuy.

Material And Methods: A case-control study was designed which included patients that had had cardiac surgery between January 2011 and January 2015. Every patient developing severe sepsis or septic shock (n = 122; 5.

Predicting cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury: The CRATE score.

Purpose: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication after cardiac surgery and is associated with increased mortality. The aim was to design a nondialytic AKI score in patients with previously normal renal function undergoing cardiac surgery.

Methods: Data were collected on 909 patients who underwent cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass between 2012 and 2014.

Relationship between European mitochondrial haplogroups and chronic renal allograft rejection in patients with kidney transplant.

Mitochondrial DNA variants may contribute to differences in mitochondrial function, leading to an altered immune system. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between mtDNA haplogroups and the development of chronic allograft dysfunction in patients with kidney transplant. A retrospective observational study was carried out on 261 patients who received kidney transplant (114 had stable transplant and 147 patients developed chronic allograft dysfunction).

Mitochondrial DNA haplogroups are associated with severe sepsis and mortality in patients who underwent major surgery.

Objective: To analyse whether mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups are associated with severe sepsis and mortality after major surgery.

Methods: We performed a case-control study on 240 cardiac or abdominal surgery patients developing severe sepsis (Case-group) and 267 cardiac or abdominal surgery patients without severe sepsis and with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS, Control-group). Furthermore, a longitudinal substudy was performed for analysing the survival in septic patients.

Direct association between pharyngeal viral secretion and host cytokine response in severe pandemic influenza.

Background: Severe disease caused by 2009 pandemic influenza A/H1N1virus is characterized by the presence of hypercytokinemia. The origin of the exacerbated cytokine response is unclear. As observed previously, uncontrolled influenza virus replication could strongly influence cytokine production.

Host response cytokine signatures in viral and nonviral acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Viruses are strongly associated with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Interferon-inducible protein-10 has been recently described as a biomarker of human rhinovirus infection, but there are no reports on the role of other immune mediators in AECOPD of viral origin. As an attempt to evaluate the differences in the systemic immune mediators profiles between AECOPD patients with presence/absence of viral infection, we measured 27 cytokines, chemokines, and cellular growth factors in the plasma of 40 patients with AECOPD needing of hospitalization by using a Luminex-based assay.

Host adaptive immunity deficiency in severe pandemic influenza.

Introduction: Pandemic A/H1N1/2009 influenza causes severe lower respiratory complications in rare cases. The association between host immune responses and clinical outcome in severe cases is unknown.

Methods: We utilized gene expression, cytokine profiles and generation of antibody responses following hospitalization in 19 critically ill patients with primary pandemic A/H1N1/2009 influenza pneumonia for identifying host immune responses associated with clinical outcome.