Minerva anestesiologica
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Minerva anestesiologica · Feb 2015
Elevated soluble endothelial protein C receptor levels at ICU admission are associated with sepsis development.
The endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) is a protein that regulates the protein C anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory pathways. A soluble form of EPCR (sEPCR) circulates in plasma and inhibits activated protein C (APC) activities. The clinical impact of sEPCR and its involvement in the septic process is under investigation. In this study, we assessed the role of sEPCR levels as an early indicator of sepsis development. ⋯ Upon ICU admission, sEPCR levels in initially non-septic critically-ill patients appear elevated in the subjects who will subsequently become septic.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Feb 2015
ReviewMesenchymal Stromal cell therapies - potential and pitfalls for ARDS.
Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) offer considerable promise as a novel therapeutic strategy for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). MSCs may be able to "reprogramme" the immune response to reduce destructive inflammatory elements while preserving the host response to pathogens. In addition, MSCs may be able to enhance the repair and resolution of lung injury. ⋯ The fact that MSCs are in clinical studies for a wide range of disease processes is a clear advantage for translating MSCs to clinical testing in patients with ARDS. However, some important knowledge gaps exist that may impede clinical translation. The ultimate success of MSCs as a therapy for patients with ARDS will likely be dependent on a greater knowledge of their mechanisms of action and the determination of the optimal strategies for their use in the clinical setting.