We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Changes in Bacterial Load and Serum Cytokine Levels Predict Likelihood of Dying from Sepsis

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 03 Jun 2020
A testing method for the sensitive and rapid quantification of serum cytokines and bacterial load can be used to predict the likelihood of a patient dying from sepsis or septic shock.

Sepsis is caused by an inflammatory immune response triggered by an infection. More...
It is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. Common signs and symptoms include fever, increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, and confusion. There may also be symptoms related to a specific infection, such as a cough with pneumonia, or painful urination with a kidney infection. In the very young, old, and those with a weakened immune system, there may be no symptoms of a specific infection and the body temperature may be low or normal, rather than high.

To facilitate the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of infectious diseases such as those responsible for sepsis, investigators at the University of Chicago (IL, USA) developed a sensitive and rapid quantification method for bacterial load and serum cytokines from human biological samples.

The method uses digital proximity ligation assays (dPLA) for quantifying both nucleic acid and protein markers. Droplet digital-PCR (ddPCR) readout in the PLA protocol enabled simultaneous measurement of Gram negative (GN)- and Gram positive (GP)-specific 16S rRNA genes (which reflect the abundance of all GN and GP bacteria in the patient samples), and the blaTEM (Beta-lactamase) gene (which induces resistance to the Beta-lactam antibiotics) together with IL-6 and TNF-alpha protein levels in the same patient sample.

A major advantage of this digital amplification method is its ability to quantify very small changes in the concentration of these molecules. ddPCR has a resolution of a single-DNA molecule in samples, and the investigators were able to achieve sub-femtomolar resolution for protein targets.

To demonstrate the potential of this approach, the investigators first used it to analyze bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples from patients with mild-to-severe asthma, and found that patients with asthma had higher levels of GN bacteria and IL-6 than healthy control subjects. They then used the assays to longitudinally characterize plasma samples from patients with septic shock, revealing several molecular features associated with recovery or death. Analyses showed that changes over time of several biomarkers, and not their absolute concentrations, were reliable predictors of patient outcomes. Application of decision tree analysis to results obtained by this method enabled prediction of patient mortality/rate of recovery from septic shock with over 90% accuracy.

"Our findings provide a new approach to the diagnosis of sepsis with the potential to identify the causal pathogen early," said contributing author Dr. Gokhan Mutlu, professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. "This will allow us to use the appropriate antibiotics earlier before the culture results are available and minimize the use of antibiotics that are needed to treat the infection. By combining the pathogen-related and host response data, we are able to predict outcomes in patients with sepsis."

"A rapid test like this is needed in many situations and could really change the game for treatment of sepsis," said senior author Dr. Savas Tay, associate professor of molecular engineering at the University of Chicago. "This is a disease that can kill everybody, regardless of your situation."

The rapid test for digital quantification of cytokines and bacteria was described in the May 25, 2020, online edition of the journal Nature Communications.

Related Links:
University of Chicago


Gold Member
Blood Gas Analyzer
Stat Profile pHOx
Portable Electronic Pipette
Mini 96
New
Alcohol Testing Device
Dräger Alcotest 7000
New
Sperm Quality Analyis Kit
QwikCheck Beads Precision and Linearity Kit
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: New research points to protecting blood during radiation therapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments

Scientists have long focused on protecting organs near tumors during radiotherapy, but blood — a vital, circulating tissue — has largely been excluded from dose calculations. Each blood cell passing through... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The VENTANA HER2 (4B5) test is now CE-IVDR approved (Photo courtesy of Roche)

Companion Diagnostic Test Identifies HER2-Ultralow Breast Cancer and Biliary Tract Cancer Patients

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Europe, with more than 564,000 new cases and 145,000 deaths annually. Metastatic breast cancer is rising in younger populations and remains the leading cause... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: An adult fibrosarcoma case report has shown the importance of early diagnosis and targeted therapy (Photo courtesy of Sultana and Sailaja/Oncoscience)

Accurate Pathological Analysis Improves Treatment Outcomes for Adult Fibrosarcoma

Adult fibrosarcoma is a rare and highly aggressive malignancy that develops in connective tissue and often affects the limbs, trunk, or head and neck region. Diagnosis is complex because tumors can mimic... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Conceptual design of the CORAL capsule for microbial sampling in the small intestine (H. Mohammed et al., Device (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.device.2025.100904)

Coral-Inspired Capsule Samples Hidden Bacteria from Small Intestine

The gut microbiome has been linked to conditions ranging from immune disorders to mental health, yet conventional stool tests often fail to capture bacterial populations in the small intestine.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.