Plasma orexin A does not reflect severity of illness in the intensive care units patients with systemic inflammation

Abstract

BackgroundSystemic inflammatory response occurs by sepsis and invasive surgery. Recent articles suggest that not only CRP but also procalcitonin, presepsin, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin may reflect the severity of systemic inflammation. In addition, as systemic inflammation could degenerate orexin neurons, plasma orexin A might also be a good biomarker to predict the severity. Thus, we have determined relation between plasma biomarker and severity of illness score in patients with systemic inflammation.MethodsPrevious database (UMIN000018427) was used to secondly determine which plasma biomarkers may predict the severity of illness in the ICU patients with systemic inflammation (n = 57, 31 non-sepsis surgical patients and 26 sepsis patients). We measured plasma levels of orexin A, CRP, procalcitonin, presepsin, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin were measured, and APACHE II score was assessed in these patients at their admission to the ICU. Data are shown as mean ± SD. Statistical analyses were done with unpaired t test. The correlation between APACHE II score and plasma biomarkers were examined using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and a least squares linear regression line.ResultsDemographic data did not differ between sepsis and non-sepsis groups. However, APACHE-II score was significantly higher in sepsis group than those in non-sepsis group (20.9 ± 6.6 vs 15.8 ± 3.2, p < 0.01). There were significant correlations between APACHE II score and plasma CRP (r = 0.532, p < 0.01), procalcitonin (r = 0.551, p < 0.01), presepsin (r = 0.510, p < 0.01), and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (r = 0.466, P < 0.01) except orexin A.ConclusionAll plasma biomarkers tested except orexin A may reflect the severity of illness in patients with systemic inflammation.