Septic shock is a major medical problem with high morbidity and mortality and incompletely understood biology. Integration of multiple data sets into a single analysis framework empowers discovery of new knowledge about the condition that may have been missed by individual analysis of each of these datasets. Electronic search was performed on medical literature and gene expression databases for selection of transcriptomic studies done in circulating leukocytes from human subjects suffering from septic shock. Gene-level meta-analysis was conducted on the six selected studies to identify the genes consistently differentially expressed in septic shock. This was followed by pathway-level analysis using three different algorithms (ORA, GSEA, SPIA). The identified up-regulated pathway, Osteoclast differentiation pathway (hsa04380) was validated in two independent cohorts. Of the pathway, 25 key genes were selected that serve as an expression signature of Septic Shock.

Background There is an urgent need to understand the key events driving pathogenesis of severe COVID-19 disease, so that precise treatment can be instituted. In this respect NETosis is gaining increased attention in the scientific community, as an important pathological process contributing to mortality. We sought to test if indeed there exists robust evidence of NETosis in multiple transcriptomic data sets from human subjects with severe COVID-19 disease. Gene set enrichment analysis was performed to test for up-regulation of gene set functional in NETosis in the blood of patients with COVID-19 illness. Results Blood gene expression functional in NETosis increased with severity of illness, showed negative correlation with blood oxygen saturation, and was validated in the lung of COVID-19 non-survivors. Temporal expression of IL-6 was compared between severe and moderate illness with COVID-19. Unsupervised clustering was performed to reveal co-expression of IL-6 with complement genes. In severe COVID-19 illness, there is transcriptional evidence of activation of NETosis, complement and coagulation cascade, and negative correlation between NETosis and respiratory function (oxygen saturation). An early spike in IL-6 is observed in severe COVID-19 illness that is correlated with complement activation. Conclusions Based on the transcriptional dynamics of IL-6 expression and its downstream effect on complement activation, we constructed a model that links early spike in IL-6 level with persistent and self-perpetuating complement activation, NETosis, immunothrombosis and respiratory dysfunction. Our model supports the early initiation of anti-IL6 therapy in severe COVID-19 disease before the life-threatening complications of the disease can perpetuate themselves autonomously.

Background: Sepsis and cancer are both leading causes of death, and occurrence of any one, increases the likelihood of the other. While cancer patients are susceptible to sepsis, survivors of sepsis are also susceptible to develop certain cancers. This mutual dependence for susceptibility suggests shared biology between the two disease categories. Earlier analysis had revealed a cancer-related pathway to be up-regulated in Septic Shock (SS), an advanced stage of sepsis. This has motivated a more comprehensive comparison of the transcriptomes of SS and cancer.

Comprehensive and unbiased re-analysis of published blood transcriptome data from patients of COVID-19 reveals significant up-regulation of the gene set functional in NETosis, but no evidence of general cytokine storm. In severe COVID-19 illness, there is significant up-regulation of complement and coagulation pathway, and negative correlation between NETosis and respiratory function (oxygen saturation). Interestingly, there is an early spike in the level of IL-6 gene expression in severe illness compared to moderate illness. With passing days post-onset, the level of IL-6 expression in severe illness approaches that in moderate illness. The data are consistent with IL-6 acting as a driver of NETosis in the early phase of severe COVID-19 illness, that results in a vicious cycle of NETosis-complement/coagulation-respiratory dysfunction. This has important consequence for timing of rational therapy with anti-IL-6 and NETosis inhibitors in severe COVID-19 illness.

Table of contentsP1 D-Dimer in adult patients with presumed sepsis and their clinical outcomesSurinder Kumar Sharma, Anurag Rohatgi, Mansi BajajP2 Diagnosis of infection utilizing Acellix CD64Charles L. Sprung, Ricardo Calderon Morales, Harvey Kasdan, Allon Reiter, Tobias Volker, Julien MeissonnierP3 High levels of phenylcarboxylic acids reflect the severity in ICU patients and affect phagocytic activity of neutrophilsNatalia Beloborodova, Viktor Moroz, Aleksandra Bedova, Yulia Sarshor, Artem Osipov, Katerina ChernevskayaP4 The role of bacterial phenolic metabolites in mitochondrial dysfunctionNadezhda Fedotcheva, Ekaterina Chernevskaya, Natalia BeloborodovaP5 The early diagnosis of severe sepsis and judgment of rapid transport to critical care center: better prognostic factorHisashi Imahase, Kosuke C Yamada, Yuichiro Sakamoto, Miho Ohta, Ryota Sakurai, Mayuko Yahata, Mitsuru Umeka, Toru Miike, Hiroyuki Koami, Futoshi Nagashima, Takashi Iwamura, Satoshi InoueP6 Translational neuromodulation of the immune systemZhifeng Li, Dennis Grech, Patrick Morcillo, Alex Bekker, Luis UlloaP7 Pathway-level meta-analysis reveals transcriptional signature of septic shockSamanwoy Mukhopadhyay, Abhay D Pandey, Samsiddhi Bhattacharjee, Saroj K MohapatraP8 Antibiotic dosing in septic patients on the critical care unit - a literature reviewJulie K WilsonP9 Pandemic of Escherichia coli clone O25: H4-ST131 producing CTX-M-15 extended spectrum- β- lactamase- as serious cause of multidrug resistance extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli infections in IndiaSavita Jadhav, Rabindra Nath Misra, Nageswari Gandham, Kalpana Angadi, Chanda Vywahare, Neetu Gupta, Deepali DesaiP10 Detection and characterization of meningitis using a DDA-based mass spectrometry approachAnahita Bakochi, Tirthankar Mohanty, Adam Linder, Johan MalmströmP11 Diagnostic usefulness of lipid profile and procalcitonin in sepsis and trauma patientsDimple Anand, Seema Bhargava, Lalit Mohan Srivastava, Sumit RayP12 Heparin – a novel therapeutic in sepsis?Jane Fisher, Peter Bentzer, Adam LinderP13 Hypothalamic impairment is associated with vasopressin deficiency during sepsisLuis Henrique Angenendt da Costa, Nilton Nascimentos dos Santos Júnior Carlos Henrique Rocha Catalão, Maria José Alves da RochaP14 Presepsin (soluble CD14 subtype) is a dependable prognostic marker in critical septic patientsAlfredo Focà, Cinzia Peronace, Giovanni Matera, Aida Giancotti, Giorgio Settimo Barreca, Angela Quirino, Maria Teresa Loria, Pio Settembre, Maria Carla Liberto, Bruno AmanteaP15 Safety and efficacy of gelatin-containing solutions versus crystalloids and albumin - a systematic review with quantitative and qualitative summariesChristiane Hartog, Christiane Hartog, Claudia Moeller, Carolin Fleischmann, Daniel Thomas-Rueddel, Vlasislav Vlasakov, Bram Rochwerg, Philip Theurer, Konrad ReinhartP16 Immunomodulatory properties of peripheral blood mesenchymal stem cells following endotoxin stimulation in an equine modelAnna E. Smith, Sandra D. TaylorP17 Frequency and outcome of early sepsis-associat...