Use of plasma mitochondrial DNA levels for determining disease severity and prognosis in pediatric sepsis: a case control study

摘要

The mortality rate due to severe sepsis is approximately 30–60%. Sepsis readily progresses to septic shock and multiple organ dysfunction, representing a significant problem in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The aim of this study was to explore the value of plasma mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) for early diagnosis and prognosis in children with sepsis. A total of 123 children with sepsis who were hospitalized in the Hunan Children’s Hospital PICU from July 2013 to December 2014 were divided into the general sepsis group (n?=?70) and severe sepsis group (n?=?53) based on diagnostic standards. An additional 30 children with non-sepsis infection and 30 healthy children were randomly selected as a control group. Patients’ plasma was collected during admission to the PICU. A pediatric critical illness score (PCIS) was also calculated. The plasma mtDNA level was examined using real-time polymerase chain reaction technology, and other parameters including routine laboratory values; blood lactate, procalcitonin (PCT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels; and data on survival were collected and compared among the groups. The plasma mtDNA level in the sepsis group than that in the non-sepsis infection and healthy groups. The plasma mtDNA level was significantly higher in the severe sepsis than in the general sepsis group (p?