Are phenylcarboxylic acids really markers in severe sepsis?

• DOI: 10.1186/cc8097
• Publication Date: 2009-11-12T10:36:13Z
• Authors: NV Beloborodova; AS Khodakova; AJ Olenin
• Keywords: 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Poster Presentation; 3. Good health

Laboratory diagnostics of sepsis need to be improved. There is no evidence in the literature whether microbial metabolites could be used as sepsis markers. As a result of large-scale screening of microbial compounds we showed that levels of some phenylcarboxylic acids (PCAs) were increased in blood of septic patients. The content of p-hydroxyphenyllactic acid (HPLA), phenyllactic acid (PLA) and p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (HPAA) was significantly higher in blood of patients with severe sepsis compared with control groups. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of PLA, HPLA and HPAA as markers for severe sepsis diagnostics.