Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein serum levels in patients with severe sepsis due to gram-positive and fungal infections

Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) is increased in patients with severe gram-negative infections, but LBP serum levels have not been reported for in patients with gram-positive and fungal infections. LBP serum levels were determined in patients with severe sepsis secondary to gram-positive or fungal infections and were compared with LBP serum levels obtained from patients with gram-negative mixed infections and from healthy volunteers. Thirty-seven episodes of severe sepsis were analyzed among 24 patients. LBP serum levels were significantly increased in patients with severe sepsis (46.4 +/- 28.3 mug/mL), compared with that of healthy volunteers (5.7 +/- 1.9 mug/mL; P < .0001). On the other hand, LBP serum levels obtained from patients with gram-negative infections (40.80 +/- 34.79 μg/mL) did not differ from those obtained from patients with gram-positive (35.55 +/- 23.95 μg/mL) or fungal (39.90 +/- 22.19 μg/mL) infections. These data suggest that LBP is an aspecific marker of sepsis, and the response was not clearly correlated with severity. Furthermore, in patients with multiple episodes of sepsis, LBP response seems to be of lesser magnitude after each subsequent episode of severe sepsis.