BackgroundSepsis caused by complicated intra-abdominal infection is associated with high mortality. Loss of endothelial barrier integrity, inflammation, and impaired cellular oxygen have been shown to be primary contributors to sepsis. To date, little is known regarding the pathway for the mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from the bone marrow in sepsis whereas stromal-cell-derived factor 1a (SDF-1a) and hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) seem to have a role in the EPC response to hypoxic microenvironments.The aims of the study are: (a) to determine the time course of the levels of circulating EPCs (CD133/CD34), SDF-1a, and HIF-1 in septic patients undergoing major abdominal surgery (group S), (b) to investigate the relationship between CD133/CD34, HIF-1, and SDF-1a, and (c) to investigate the relationship of these factors with the outcome of group S patients treated with standard conventional therapy alone (CT) or with the addition of extracorporeal hemoperfusion therapy (HCT).Methods/designPatients undergoing major abdominal surgery will be allocated into groups: postoperative non-septic patients in an emergency surgical ward (group C) and postoperative septic patients in an intensive care unit (group S). The latter will be randomized to receive CT alone (S1) or with HCT (S2). Healthy volunteers (group H) will be recruited at University Hospital Foggia.Peripheral blood (PB) samples will be collected preoperatively (T0), at 24 h (T1), 72 h (T2), 7 (T3), and 10 (T4) postoperative days in groups S and C, and at T0 in group H. The CD34/133 cells and HIF-1 counts will be determined by flow cytometer analysis. The concentration of SDF-1a in plasma will be calculated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis (ELISA).DiscussionThis prospective randomized clinical trial is designed to investigate circulating stem cells, levels of HIF-1 and SDF-1a, and their interrelationship in septic postoperative abdominal surgical patients treated with CT alone or with HCT. The rationale is that an integrated understanding of the role of hypoxia-related factors and EPCs in PB of septic patients could indicate which molecular processes need to be regulated to recover the innate immunity homeostasis. Understanding the function of EPCs in sepsis may provide innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to improve the prognosis of this syndrome.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02589535. Registered on 28 October 2015.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-018-2556-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background: The control of endothelial progenitor cells (CD133+/CD34+ EPCs) migrating from bone marrow to peripheral blood is not completely understood. Emerging evidence suggests that stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) mediates egression of EPCs from bone marrow, while the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) transcriptional system regulates SDF-1α expression. Our study aimed to investigate the time course of circulating CD133+/CD34+ EPCs and its correlation with the expression of HIF-1α protein and SDF-1α in postoperative laparoscopic abdominal septic patients. Methods: Postoperative patients were divided in control (C group) and septic group (S group) operated immediately after the diagnosis of sepsis/septic shock. Blood samples were collected at baseline (0), 1, 3 and 7 postoperative days for CD133+/CD34+ EPCs count expressing or not the HIF-1α and SDF-1α analysis. Results: Thirty-two patients in S group and 39 in C group were analyzed. In C group CD133+/CD34+ EPCs count remained stable throughout the study period, increasing on day 7 (173 [0-421] /μl vs baseline: P = 0.04; vs day 1: P = 0.002). In S group CD133+/CD34+ EPCs count levels were higher on day 3 (vs day 1: P = 0.006 and day 7: P = 0.026). HIF-1α expressing CD133+/CD34+ EPCs count decreased on day 1 as compared with the other days in C group (day 0 vs 1: P = 0.003, days 3 and 7 vs 1: P = 0.008), while it was 321 [0-1418] /μl on day 3 (vs day 1; P = 0.004), and 400 [0-587] /μl on day 7 in S group. SDF-1α levels were higher not only on baseline but also on postoperative day 1 in S vs C group (219 [124-337] pg/ml vs 35 [27-325] pg/ml, respectively; P = 0.01). Conclusion: Our results indicate that sepsis in abdominal laparoscopic patients might constitute an additional trigger of the EPCs mobilization as compared with non-septic surgical patients. A larger mobilization of CD133+/ CD34+ EPCs, preceded by enhanced plasmatic SDF-1α, occurs in septic surgical patients regardless of HIF-1α expression therein. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov no. NCT02589535. Registered 28 October 2015.

No abstract

A 20-year-old man was admitted to the intensive care unit for septic shock due to Lemierre’s syndrome. It is a rare syndrome that manifests as an upper respiratory infection, although systemic involvement, severe coagulopathy, and multi-organ failure can dangerously complicate the clinical picture. In this syndrome, sepsis-related neuroendocrine dysregulation and microcirculation impairment can have a rapid deleterious progression. Consequently, proper diagnosis, early source control, and appropriate antibiotics administration are mandatory to improve the prognosis. The intensive treatment is aimed at limiting organ damage through hemodynamic optimization. Remarkably, in septic shock due to Lemierre’s syndrome, hemodynamic optimization can be achieved through the synergic effect of norepinephrine, argipressin, and hydrocortisone.