Soluble TREM-1 Serum Level can Early Predict Mortality of Patients with Sepsis, Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock

Early prognostic prediction of sepsis is essential in adjusting therapeutic protocols to prevent deterioration and reduce mortality. We compared the predictive value of the serum concentration of the soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (sTREM-1) for 28-day mortality and for the development of severe sepsis or septic shock on the third day with the levels of interleukin (IL)-6, C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT). The study was conducted on 85 patients with sepsis. sTREM-1, CRP, PCT and IL-6 concentrations were measured upon study inclusion (day 0) and on days 1, 2, 3 and 5. APACHE II, SAPS II and SOFA scores were analyzed. The sTREM-1 levels (pg/ml) were higher in non-survivors than in survivors at admission (773 vs. 391, p < 0.001) and on days 1, 2, 3 and 5. In predicting the development of severe sepsis, the highest AUCs were found for PCT (0.744, 95% CI 0.638–0.85) and sTREM-1 (0.664, 95% CI 0.55–0.778); and in septic shock prediction, for PCT (0.766, 95% CI 0.665–0.867) and IL-6 (0.707, 95% CI 0.595–0.819). sTREM-1 positively correlated with APACHE II, SAPS II and SOFA scores. At inclusion, significant AUC for predicting 28-day mortality was 0.772 for the sTREM-1 (95% CI 0.672–0.871), 0.858 for APACHE II (95% CI 0.768–0.948), 0.847 for SAPS II (95% CI 0.733–0.96), 0.806 for SOFA score (95% CI 0.698–0.915). sTREM-1 can early predict the 28-day sepsis mortality, although its effectiveness is lower in comparison with clinical severity scores. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s00005-017-0499-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.