Eur Respir J 2004; 24:786-789
Copyright ©ERS Journals Ltd 2004
Disturbed alveolar fibrin turnover during pneumonia is restricted to the site of infection
G. Choi1,2,3,
M.J. Schultz1,3,
J.W.O. van Till4,
P. Bresser5,
J.S. van der Zee5,
M.A. Boermeester4,
M. Levi2 and
T. van der Poll2,3
Depts of 1 Intensive Care Medicine, 2 Internal Medicine, 3 Laboratory of Experimental Internal Medicine, 4 Surgery, and 5 Pulmonology, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam.
CORRESPONDENCE: G. Choi, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Dept of Intensive Care Medicine, C3-423, Meibergdreef 9, 1108 AZ, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Fax: 31 205669568. E-mail: GodaChoi@mail.com
Keywords: Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, coagulation, fibrinolysis, mechanical ventilation, plasma, pneumonia
Received: December 19, 2003
Accepted June 26, 2004
Severe infection is associated with profound alterations in the systemic haemostatic balance, with activation of coagulation and suppressed fibrinolysis. Within the alveolar compartment, similar disturbances have been described during pulmonary inflammation. The current authors investigated whether local haemostasis was influenced during ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).
In five patients with unilateral VAP, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was obtained from both the infected site (as identified on chest radiograph) and the contralateral noninfected lung (with no clinical or radiographic abnormalities). Markers for coagulation and fibrinolysis were compared between infected and noninfected lungs. A total of 10 healthy volunteers and 10 mechanically ventilated patients without pneumonia served as controls.
Strong activation of coagulation (high levels of thrombin-antithrombin complexes, soluble tissue factor and factor VIIa) was detected in BALF from infected lungs, compared with that from noninfected lungs and controls. Furthermore, in infected lungs, fibrinolysis was depressed, with high levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1.
In conclusion, ventilator-associated pneumonia is characterised by a hypercoagulant state at the site of infection.
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. E. Levitt, M. K. Gould, L. B. Ware, and M. A. Matthay
Analytic Review: The Pathogenetic and Prognostic Value of Biologic Markers in Acute Lung Injury
J Intensive Care Med,
May 1, 2009;
24(3):
151 - 167.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. L. Ventura, R. Higdon, L. Hohmann, D. Martin, E. Kolker, H. D. Liggitt, S. J. Skerrett, and C. E. Rubens
Staphylococcus aureus Elicits Marked Alterations in the Airway Proteome during Early Pneumonia
Infect. Immun.,
December 1, 2008;
76(12):
5862 - 5872.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. A. D. van Zoelen, S. Florquin, J. C. M. Meijers, R. de Beer, A. F. de Vos, O. J. de Boer, and T. van der Poll
Platelet-Activating Factor Receptor Contributes to Host Defense against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pneumonia but Is Not Essential for the Accompanying Inflammatory and Procoagulant Response
J. Immunol.,
March 1, 2008;
180(5):
3357 - 3365.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. Yende, D. C. Angus, J. Ding, A. B. Newman, J. A. Kellum, R. Li, R. E. Ferrell, J. Zmuda, S. B. Kritchevsky, T. B. Harris, et al.
4G/5G Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 Polymorphisms and Haplotypes Are Associated with Pneumonia
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.,
December 1, 2007;
176(11):
1129 - 1137.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
R. Renckens, J. J. T. H. Roelofs, P. I. Bonta, S. Florquin, C. J. M. de Vries, M. Levi, P. Carmeliet, C. van't Veer, and T. van der Poll
Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 is protective during severe Gram-negative pneumonia
Blood,
February 15, 2007;
109(4):
1593 - 1601.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
X.-Q. Wang, K. Bdeir, S. Yarovoi, D. B. Cines, W. Fang, and E. Abraham
Involvement of the Urokinase Kringle Domain in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury
J. Immunol.,
October 15, 2006;
177(8):
5550 - 5557.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. E. Stegenga, S. N. van der Crabben, M. Levi, A. F. de Vos, M. W. Tanck, H. P. Sauerwein, and T. van der Poll
Hyperglycemia Stimulates Coagulation, Whereas Hyperinsulinemia Impairs Fibrinolysis in Healthy Humans
Diabetes,
June 1, 2006;
55(6):
1807 - 1812.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
T. van der Poll, M. Levi, J. A. Nick, and E. Abraham
Activated Protein C Inhibits Local Coagulation after Intrapulmonary Delivery of Endotoxin in Humans
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.,
May 15, 2005;
171(10):
1125 - 1128.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
Copyright © 2004 by the European Respiratory Society.
|