Adhesion molecules in pediatric intensive care patients with organ dysfunction syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To determine serum concentrations of the soluble forms of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), and E-selectin in ventilated neonatal and pediatric intensive care patients with varying severity of multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS) with or without infection-triggered organ failure. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective pilot study, a level III neonatal and pediatric intensive care unit at a University children's Hospital. PATIENTS: We studied 22 ventilated pediatric (n = 15) and neonatal (n = 7) intensive care patients (aged 3 days–16 years). Inclusion criteria were mechanical ventilation and signs of at least one additional organ dysfunction (cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, hematological, or renal). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Serum concentrations of the adhesion molecules were analyzed on the day of maximum organ dysfunction score and were quantitated by a sandwich ELISA technique. The overall mortality rate was 36% (8/22). Dysfunction of three or more organ systems was defined as MODS and was associated with a significant increase in VCAM-1 serum levels relative to dysfunction of three or fewer organ systems [median 1239 ng/ml (IQR 928–1615) vs. 766 ng/ml (644–915)]. A significant difference in E-selectin serum levels was found between organ failure of infectious (median 131 ng/ml, IQR 112–146) and noninfectious origin (68 ng/ml 49–105). CONCLUSIONS: Determination of adhesion molecules in pediatric intensive care patients raises the possibility of more specific pathophysiological understanding. E-selectin showed significantly different serum levels between infectious and noninfectious causes of organ failure.