Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Feb 25;21(1):66.
doi: 10.1186/s12890-021-01437-2.

Plasma mitochondrial DNA levels are associated with acute lung injury and mortality in septic patients

Jia-Yu Mao #  1 , Dong-Kai Li #  1 , Hong-Min Zhang  1 , Xiao-Ting Wang  2 , Da-Wei Liu  3
Affiliations
Free PMC article

Plasma mitochondrial DNA levels are associated with acute lung injury and mortality in septic patients

Jia-Yu Mao et al. BMC Pulm Med. .
Free PMC article

Abstract

Background: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a critical activator of inflammation. Circulating mtDNA released causes lung injury in experimental models. We hypothesized that elevated plasma mtDNA levels are associated with acute lung injury (ALI) in septic patients.

Methods: We enrolled 66 patients with sepsis admitted to the Department of Critical Care Medicine of Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 2019 and October 2019. Respiratory, hemodynamic and bedside echocardiographic parameters were recorded. Plasma mtDNA, procalcitonin, interleukin 6, and interleukin 8 levels were examined.

Results: Plasma mtDNA levels within 24 h after admission were significantly increased in the group of septic patients with ALI [5.01 (3.38-6.64) vs 4.13 (3.20-5.07) log copies/µL, p 0.0172]. mtDNA levels were independently associated with mortality (hazard ratio, 3.2052; 95% CI 1.1608-8.8500; p 0.0253) and ALI risk (odds ratio 2.7506; 95% CI 1.1647-6.4959; p 0.0210). Patients with high mtDNA levels had worse outcomes, and post hoc tests showed significant differences in 28-day survival rates. Increased mtDNA levels were seen in patients with abdominal infection.

Conclusions: Increased plasma mtDNA levels within 24 h after admission were significantly associated with ALI incidence and mortality in septic patients.

Keywords: Acute lung injury; Biomarkers; Plasma mtDNA level; Sepsis.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. PLoS Med. 2013 Dec;10(12):e1001577; discussion e1001577 - PubMed
    1. J Cell Biochem. 2018 Dec 5;: - PubMed
    1. JAMA. 2016 Feb 23;315(8):801-10 - PubMed
    1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1994 Apr 26;91(9):3799-803 - PubMed
    1. Nat Immunol. 2011 Mar;12(3):222-30 - PubMed