Complement Activation in Human Sepsis is Related to Sepsis-Induced Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

Introduction: In human sepsis, little is known about the relationships between complement activation and the clinical characteristics of sepsis, including disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), interventions, and prognosis. Patients and Methods: Adult patients with sepsis admitted from November 2016 to December 2018 were included. We used the plasma levels of soluble C5b-9 (SC5b-9) as a marker of complement activation. We compared the clinical characteristics and complement components between patients with and without DIC. We also compared the clinical characteristics and each DIC parameter across quartile groups for the SC5b-9 value. Results: Forty-nine sepsis patients were eligible. Thirty-four patients developed DIC, and eight patients died. The median (interquartile range) SC5b-9 value was 342 (261–501) ng/mL. Compared with patients without DIC, patients with DIC showed lower C3 levels (mean, 95.7 vs. 70.4 mg/dL, P 
Source: Shock - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Clinical Science Aspects Source Type: research