Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0036690 (sepsis)
 59,461 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The limulus test is a well-established method for the diagnosis of both Gram-negative sepsis and invasive fungal infection. To diagnose fungal infections, a beta-(1-->3)-D-glucan-specific chromogenic kit (Fungitec G test MK) has been developed and applied clinically. We are concentrating our main efforts on developing a better standard to improve the precision of this method. To this end, we have successfully developed a protocol to obtain a soluble Candida spp. beta-(1-->3)-D-glucan (CSBG) by sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) oxidation and subsequent dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) extraction (yield of 9.6 +/- 4.1%) of acetone-dried whole-cell preparations. The beta-glucan fraction is free from the cell-wall mannan, gives a symmetrical peak by gel filtration, and is soluble in dilute NaOH. The product is composed mainly of beta-(1-->3)- and beta-(1-->6)-D-glucosidic linkages. The specific activity of the beta-glucan is comparable with pachyman when combined with the Fungitec G test as the standard glucan and reacted as low as 10(-11) g/mL.
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PMID:Solubilization of yeast cell-wall beta-(1-->3)-D-glucan by sodium hypochlorite oxidation and dimethyl sulfoxide extraction. 1042 May 95

The limulus test is a well-established method for the diagnosis of both gram (-) sepsis and invasive fungal infection. To diagnose deep-seated fungal infections, a (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan-specific chromogenic kit (Fungitec G test MK) has been developed and applied clinically. It is suggested that the limulus reactive substance was released from the fungi to the blood, however, its chemical properties were not precisely examined in detail because of the limited quantity available. In this study, we used chemically defined liquid medium to culture Candida spp. and collected the water soluble fraction, CAWS. The yield of CAWS was circa 100 mg/l, independent of the strain of Candida. CAWS reacted with limulus factor G (Fungitec G test MK) at concentrations as low as 100 ng/ml. Limulus factor G reactivity of CAWS was sensitive to (1-->3)-beta-glucanase, zymolyase and was, at least in part, bound to ConA-agarose. The ConA-bound fraction also reacted with anti-beta-glucan antibody. CAWS is mainly composed of mannan and (1-->6)-beta-glucan, in addition to protein, assessed by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. CAWS also reacted with typing sera of Candida spp., specific for cell wall mannan. Chemical, immunochemical and biochemical analyses of CAWS strongly suggested that the limulus factor G-activating substance was a mannan-beta-glucan complex, present within the architecture of the yeast cell wall.
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PMID:Chemical and immunochemical characterization of limulus factor G-activating substance of Candida spp. 1043 60

Nitric oxide (NO) is produced in excess in various pathological states, including sepsis and hepatic cirrhosis, and appears to be related to inflammatory status. In uremia, one would expect the levels of NO to increase. We aimed to determine whether hemodialysis (HD) would remove NO from the systemic circulation of uremic patients. Blood was collected before, after, and 1 day after HD from 12 uremic patients. Plasma nitrite and nitrate (NOx-) levels were measured by colorimetric Greiss reaction and cGMP was measured by an enzyme immunoassay kit. Our study demonstrated that uremic patients have high plasma NO levels, and HD led to a significant drop in plasma NOx- level (63 +/- 15% reduction). The level rose back to the pre-HD level on the following day. Plasma cGMP in the patients also decreased significantly after HD (27 +/- 14% reduction). In conclusion, we hypothesized that HD might be a possible approach for the removal of excess NO in pathological conditions such as sepsis and hepatic cirrhosis.
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PMID:Effect of hemodialysis on plasma nitric oxide levels. 1084 81

Protein C is a vitamin-K dependent zymogen of the anti-coagulant serine protease activated protein C (APC). In this paper, we report four lines of evidence that APC can activate protein C in pooled normal plasma, and purified protein C. First, the addition of APC to protein C-deficient plasma supplemented with protein C produces a prolongation of the clotting time of plasma that is proportional to the amount of protein C. This behavior was observed with APC from the Chromogenix APC resistance kit (Dia Pharm, Franklin, OH, USA) and from APC derived from the thrombin activation of human protein C (Enzyme Research Laboratories, South Bend, IN, USA). Secondly, using immunoblotting after gel electrophoresis, the disappearance of epitopes for monoclonal antibodies that recognize protein C but not APC indicates a time course for the activation by APC of protein C in pooled normal plasma and protein C purified from plasma. Thirdly, the same time course for the disappearance of protein C specific epitope can be followed using ELISA. Finally, protein C can be activated by APC as indicated by the increase in APC specific synthetic substrate Tryp-Arg-Arg-p nitroaniline hydrolysis. Kinetic data indicate a value of 4.7+/-0.4 mM(-1) s(-1) for the activation of protein C by APC under physiological conditions and in the presence of calcium. These observations document that APC must function not only in the inactivation of activated factors V and VIII, but also in the activation of protein C. This additional action of APC may be important to consider more broadly because of APC in the treatment of sepsis.
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PMID:Proteolysis of protein C in pooled normal plasma and purified protein C by activated protein C (APC). 1189 50

The aim of the present research was conducted to elucidate anti-septicaemic effect of a polysaccharide (PS) isolated from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer (Araliaceae) by nitric oxide production from stimulated macrophage. In vitro assays for the activity measurement of PS, NO production test with Greiss reagent, phagocytic activity test using zymosan and cytokines production test using ELISA kit were also conducted. In vivo anti-septicaemic activity was assessed by using C57BL/6J mice. This was done with Staphylococcus aureus infection test. PS used at 0.025 mg/kg concentration showed a potent anti-septicaemic activity (80%, survival). However, it did not directly inhibit S. aureus in a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test, conducted in vitro (data not shown). Nitric oxide production via macrophage activation showed the highest value of 5.5 nmol/ml at 1 microg/ml PS. In in vitro phagocytic activity test, PS at 10 microg/ml concentration showed a potent phagocytic activity for zymosan with 167% of the control. Production of TNF-alpha by macrophage activation at 10 microg/ml of PS was 96% lysis of L929. Also production of IL-1 and IL-6 by stimulation of macrophage with 100 microg/ml PS dose increased to 235 pg/ml and 0.47 ng/ml, respectively. The low mortality of PS treated (0.025 mg/kg) infected mice was concurrent with decreased bacterial content in the blood. Nitric oxide production in S. aureus infected mice whose macrophage was stimulated by PS (0.025 mg/kg) increased approximately 4 times than the untreated S. aureus infected group at 24 and 48 h incubation. In the PS treated (0.025 mg/kg) group, the intracellular concentration of S. aureus in macrophages decreased approximately by 50%, compared with the untreated group. Combine treatment with PS (0.025 mg/kg body weight) and vancomycin (10 mg/kg B.W.) resulted in 100% survival of the animals, whereas only 67% or 50% of the animals survived, respectively, when treated with PS or vancomycin alone. These results suggest that PS from Panax ginseng possess a potent anti-septicaemic activity by stimulating macrophage and a potentiality as an immunomodulator against sepsis occurred by Staphylococcus aureus.
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PMID:Anti-septicaemic effect of polysaccharide from Panax ginseng by macrophage activation. 1221 29

Nurses need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of sepsis. Staff education to encourage the early identification of this life-threatening condition will be aided by a new resource kit.
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PMID:Sepsis: early detection and care. 1238 78

Cytokines have been considered as important participants in the post-burn pathophysiological process. The aim of this study was to investigate the course of a proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) and an anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in burned patients and whether there was a correlation between mortality and serum levels of these cytokines. Thirty-six acutely burned patients, admitted to Ankara Numune hospital burn unit, entered into the study. A series of serum samples were collected, and serum levels of IL-8 and IL-10 were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. According to definition utilised, 21 patients developed septic shock and nine of them died. There was no mortality among the 17 non-septic patients. In all 36 patients, there was an increase in serum IL-8 levels, and a peak level was detected shortly after burn injury. The peak IL-8 value of the non-survivors was greater when compared with that of the others. On admission, a significant difference in serum IL-8 values was found between survivors and those who died. In all patients, a peak level of IL-10 was detected between 5 and 9 days of injury. In non-septic survivors, this peak level was less when compared with that of the others. After this peak level, in all patients, serum IL-10 levels showed a decrease, but in non-survivors, a second peak level was detected. A greater understanding of the pathology of the burn sepsis allows rationale use and assessment of current therapies. The results obtained in this study provide useful information on the formulation approaches to this task. Also, IL-8 and IL-10 are prognostic factors in burn sepsis.
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PMID:Investigation of the course of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines after burn sepsis. 1505 59

Campylobacter fetus subsp fetus was identified as an unusual etiologic agent of septicemia in an immuno-compromized patient VHC positive by utilizing a 16S rRNA molecular kit in our hospital's clinical laboratory. This method would appear as a performing approach to identify pathogens when discrepancies exist between phenotypical tests.
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PMID:[Campylobacter fetus subsp fetus bacteremia in a female patient infected by the hepatitis C virus]. 1535 11

Burn and septic injuries induce profound changes in coagulation status. This study examined the changes in plasma tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) and thrombin activatable fibrinolytic inhibitor (TAFI) levels in a rat model of burn and septic injuries. Rats underwent 30% TBSA cutaneous scald burn injury and septic insult was induced by caecal ligation and puncture (CLP). CLP was superimposed on burn injury to mimic the clinical model of sepsis complicating burn injury. Rats were pretreated with Cprofloxacin orally to colonize their gut with Enterococcus faecalis. TFPI and TAFI plasma levels were measured using functional activity assay kit with a chromogenic method at 24 and 72 hours following the injuries. TFPI levels decreased significantly at 24 hours in burn, CLP, and burn+CLP groups, followed by incomplete rebound recovery at 72 hours in all three groups. On the other hand, TAFI levels increased significantly at 24- and 72-hour time points in all three groups. These results suggest that burn, septic, and their combined injuries perturb coagulation cascade and thrombotic process toward the procoagulant pathway by impairing fibrinolysis.
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PMID:Tissue factor pathway inhibitor and thrombin activatable fibrinolytic inhibitor plasma levels following burn and septic injuries in rats. 1549 25

Quantification of biomarkers can provide important information about the safety and efficacy of candidate drugs. Unfortunately, limited sample volume and excess costs often limit analysis of multiple biomarkers. We developed, optimized, validated, and implemented a multiplex immunoassay for simultaneous measurement of multiple circulating cytokines: IL-1beta, TNFalpha, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10. Multiplex immuoassays were performed using the Luminex LabMAP instrument. Capture antibodies for each cytokine were covalently bound to distinct microsphere subsets distinguished by differing dye ratios. The concentration of each individual cytokine determined by measuring orange fluorescence produced by a complex of a biotinylated cytokine-specific antibody and streptavidin-phycoerythrin. The lower limit of quantification for all assays was 20 pg/mL with the exception of IL-8 which was 100 pg/mL. The inter-assay precision was less than 25%CV for all analytes at all control levels both pre-study and in-study. The percent recovery ranged from 83 to 108% pre-study and 90 to 125% in-study. In a linearity assessment, a 15,000 pg/mL multi-analyte control could be diluted 1:50 and maintain expected accuracy. We measured the cytokine concentrations in more than 2000 serum samples from patients with sepsis. Multiplex results for IL-6 were compared to a conventional commercially available ELISA kit. The degree of agreement between the two methods as measured by the concordance correlation coefficient was 84.5%. Multiplex results were 2.36-fold higher than ELISA values on the average. After adjusting for this mean difference, the 95% empirical limits of agreement for the ratio of individual sample values were 0.33, 2.65. This multiplex immunoassay provided simultaneous measurement of circulating cytokines using 80% less patient specimen compared to traditional approaches and at a significantly decreased cost. Efficient use of this platform requires process improvements to fully maximize the positive impact of multiplex assays in clinical drug development.
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PMID:Development, validation, and implementation of a multiplex immunoassay for the simultaneous determination of five cytokines in human serum. 1562 May 30


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