Abstract
BackgroundSepsis is a leading cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aim of this study was to explore the association of decreased mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme activities with the risk for pediatric sepsis, and explore their association with mortality among affected children.MethodsA total of 50 incident cases with sepsis and 49 healthy controls participated in this study. The level of serum coenzyme Q10 was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, and selected mitochondrial respiratory chain enzymes in WBC were measured using spectrophotometric. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsThe levels of CoQ10, complex II, complex I + III and FoF1-ATPase were significantly higher in healthy controls than in children with sepsis (p < 0.001, = 0.004, < 0.001 and < 0.001, respectively). In children with sepsis, levels of CoQ10 and complex I + III were significantly higher in survived cases than in deceased cases (p < 0.001). Per 0.05 μmol/L, 50 nmol/min.mg and 100 nmol/min.mg increment in CoQ10, complex I + III and FoF1-ATPase were associated with significantly lowered risk of having sepsis, even after adjusting for confounding factors (OR = 0.85, 0.68 and 0.04, p = 0.001, < 0.001 and < 0.001, respectively). Per 0.05 μmol/L and 50 nmol/min.mg increment in CoQ10 and complex I + III was associated with significantly lowered risk of dying from sepsis during hospitalization, and significance retained after adjustment (OR = 0.73 and 0.76, 95% CI: 0.59 to 0.90 and 0.64 to 0.89, p = 0.004 and 0.001, respectively) in children with sepsis.ConclusionsOur findings indicate the promising predictive contribution of low serum CoQ10 and complex I + III to the risk of pediatric sepsis and its associated mortality during hospitalization among Chinese children.Trial registration The trial was registered with www.chictr.org.cn, number ChiCTR-IOR-15006446 on May 05, 2015. Retrospectively registered.
Highlights
Sepsis is a leading cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality worldwide
A total of 50 children who were clinically confirmed to have sepsis were classified as the case group, and 49 age- and sex-matched healthy controls who had no signs of sepsis formed the control group
Levels of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and complex I + III were significantly higher in survived cases than in deceased cases
Summary
Sepsis is a leading cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aim of this study was to explore the association of decreased mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme activities with the risk for pediatric sepsis, and explore their association with mortality among affected children. Sepsis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide, with the case-fatality rate of 31.7% in developing countries and 19.3% in developed countries [1, 2]. The resolution of the World Health Assembly in 2017 has stressed the He et al BMC Infectious Diseases (2022) 22:34 importance of developing more tools for sepsis diagnosis and treatment [4]. Most mitochondrion-sepsis correlation studies have focused on mitochondrial respiration or mitochondrial DNA [18, 19], yet few studies examined the enzymes and complexes on respiratory chains
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
