Resistin as A Marker of Severe Sepsis

Objective: To measure the level of serum resistin in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock and assess its diagnostic and prognostic implications.Design: A prospective, randomized, controlled single center study.Patients: The study included 14 (70%) patients with severe sepsis and 6 (30%) with septic shock. Sixty percent of the patients were males. The overall mortality rate was 70% ranging from 20% in the severe sepsis group to 50% among those with septic shock. Sera taken from 10 healthy laboratory and hospital employees, were used as a baseline control for circulating resistin.Measurements: Resistin was analyzed by ELISA with a range of detection from 0.1ng/ml to 50ng/ml.Results: This study showed that resistin level was signif-icantly increased in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock with four to eight fold higher median levels compared with 10 healthy controls (p<0.001). Also serum levels of resistin were significant elevated in patients with septic shock com-pared with patients with severe sepsis at 0hrs (p<0.01) and bordering on significantly elevated at 24 hrs (p: 0.06). This study showed that serum resistin levels correlated to the patient's initial APACHE II. Also resistin levels were higher in non survivors compared with survivors in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock but this was statistically insignificant.Conclusion: This study showed the role of resistin as an acute phase protein in sepsis and septic shock with a clear association with the severity of the disease as measured by APACHE II scores, this protein can be used as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in infectious and perhaps inflammatory diseases leading to severe sepsis or even septic shock.