Anesthesia and analgesia
-
Procalcitonin is used as a diagnostic tool for the identification and risk stratification of septic patients. Procalcitonin plasma concentrations tightly correlate with the severity of the ongoing inflammatory reaction and can rise up to 10,000-fold. Impairment of endothelial cell function plays an important role in the pathogenesis of hypotension and disturbed organ perfusion during sepsis. We investigated the possible effects of procalcitonin itself on endothelial cell function and viability. ⋯ This study found that procalcitonin itself impaired several aspects of endothelial cell function. Procalcitonin-induced loss of endothelial barrier function may contribute to capillary leakage and therapy-refractory hypotension during sepsis. Anti-angiogenic properties of procalcitonin at low concentrations could also identify procalcitonin as a mediator of vascular disease associated with the metabolic syndrome. Future studies are needed to further test procalcitonin as a potential therapeutic target for preserving vascular dysfunction during acute and chronic inflammatory disorders.