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Plasma nitrate concentrations in neutropenic and non‐neutropenic patients with suspected septicaemia
Author(s) -
Neilly Ian J.,
Copland Mhairi,
Haj Montaser,
Adey Gillian,
Benjamin Nigel,
Bennett Bruce
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1995.tb08931.x
Subject(s) - septic shock , nitric oxide , sepsis , pathogenesis , nitrate , medicine , shock (circulatory) , gastroenterology , neutropenia , blood plasma , immunology , endocrinology , chemotherapy , chemistry , organic chemistry
Summary. Nitric oxide (NO) is an important physiological mediator of vascular tone and is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of septic shock. Plasma nitrate is the stable end product of NO oxidation and in part reflects endogenous NO production. We measured plasma nitrate levels in 47 episodes of suspected septicaemia in 43 in‐patients (16 male and 27 female, age 15–63 years). Nitrate concentrations were significantly higher ( P < 0.01) compared to healthy controls. Further analysis revealed that significantly elevated levels occurred only in the septic patients who had normal or elevated numbers of neutrophils in the peripheral blood and were hypotensive on presentation. Failure of plasma nitrate concentrations to rise significantly in patients with neutropenia suggests that this cell type may be important in the activation of the arginine‐NO system in severe sepsis in man.