Baseline thrombospondin-1 concentrations are not associated with mortality in septic patients: a single-center cohort study on the intensive care unit

BACKGROUND: The initial phase of sepsis is characterized by hyperinflammation. Levels of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) rise rapidly during acute inflammation. The purpose of this clinical study was to study the association between plasma TSP-1 levels and mortality in patients with sepsis on the intensive care unit. METHODS: Critically ill adult patients with sepsis, severe sepsis, or septic shock were included. They were further divided into tertiles based on their baseline plasma TSP-1 concentrations. Primary outcome measure was 28-day mortality. Furthermore, associations with severity of sepsis and platelet counts were studied. RESULTS: Two hundred thirty-five patients were included. Median plasma TSP-1 concentrations of the tertiles were 194, 463 and 874 ng/mL, respectively. There were no baseline differences. Mortality rates (26.6, 16.7, and 16.7%, p = 0.20) and cumulative survival curves (p = 0.22) were not statistically different between the tertiles. There was no association of baseline TSP-1 with severity of sepsis (p = 0.08). TSP-1 and platelet counts were positively correlated (159, 198, and 295 × 10(9)/L, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Baseline plasma levels of TSP-1 were not associated with mortality and severity of sepsis in mixed population of septic ICU patients. Further research is needed to clarify the expression of TSP-1 and to unravel the potential prognostic value of this biomarker in human sepsis. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40635-017-0120-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.