4.1 Article

Intubated patients developing tracheobronchitis or pneumonia have distinctive complement system gene expression signatures in the pre-infection period: A pilot study

Journal

MEDICINA INTENSIVA
Volume 36, Issue 4, Pages 257-263

Publisher

ELSEVIER ESPANA SLU
DOI: 10.1016/j.medin.2011.10.009

Keywords

Ventilator associated pneumonia; Gene expression; Ventilator associated tracheobronchitis; Genes; Sepsis; RNA; Biomarker; VAP; VAT

Funding

  1. CIBERes [nodo 18, EMER07/050]

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Introduction: It remains unknown why some intubated patients remain infection-free while others develop tracheobronchitis (VAT) or pneumonia (VAP). Objective: To identify and compare VAP/VAT gene expression signatures using genome-wide oligonucleotide microarrays. Material and methods: A prospective translational study of gene expression profiles of VAP and VAT groups was carried out, establishing comparisons in both pre-infection and infection phases. Pathway and functional analyses were performed with Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). Data analysis and hierarchical clustering of the genes involved in the signalling pathways expressed differentially in the two groups were performed with GeneSpring GX 11.0. Results: Eight patients developing respiratory infections (3 VAP and 5 VAT) after 4 days of mechanical ventilation were assessed. Comparison of gene expression profiles in the preinfection period revealed 5595 genes expressed differentially between VAP and VAT (p < 0.01, fold change >2). Comparative IPA analysis identified a significant depression of the complement system signalling pathway in the VAP group, affecting the classical pathway along with the final common pathway (p<0.05). In addition, the cAMP and calcium signalling pathways were also significantly depressed in the VAP group during the pre-infection phase also. Conclusion: Intubated patients complicated with pneumonia developed immune impairment in the pre-infection period, manifesting as a relatively lower expression of genes involved in the complement system that differed from patients developing tracheobronchitis. These findings suggest that a significant proportion of VAP episodes cannot be prevented, but might be treatable through pre-emptive therapy. (C) 2011 Elsevier Espana, S.L. and SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

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