The Circulating Glycosaminoglycan Signature of Respiratory Failure in Critically Ill Adults

• DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.539452
• Publication Date: 2014-02-08T07:35:21Z
• Authors: Eric P. Schmidt; Guoyun Li; Lingyun Li; Li Fu; Yimu Yang; Katherine H. Over...; Ivor S. Douglas; Robert J. Linhardt
• Keywords: Glycocalyx

Systemic inflammatory illnesses (such as sepsis) are marked by degradation of the endothelial glycocalyx, a layer glycosaminoglycans (including heparan sulfate, chondroitin and hyaluronic acid) lining vascular lumen. We hypothesized that different pathophysiologic insults would produce characteristic patterns released glycocalyx fragments. collected plasma from healthy donors well subjects with respiratory failure due to altered mental status (intoxication, ischemic brain injury), indirect lung injury (non-pulmonary sepsis, pancreatitis), or direct (aspiration, pneumonia). Mass spectrometry was employed determine quantity sulfation circulating glycosaminoglycans. found sulfate fragments were significantly (23-fold) elevated in patients injury, while acid concentrations (32-fold) injury. N-Sulfation tri-sulfation disaccharides increased Chondroitin disaccharide suppressed all groups failure. Plasma directly correlated intensive care unit length stay. Serial measurements performed select revealed highly sulfated persisted for greater than 3 days after onset Our findings demonstrate etiology may serve diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers critical illness.