Middle molecules in severe community-acquired pneumonia

Results Patients admitted had mean age of 62 ± 1.2 years, PORT classes IV-V and mean Pneumonia Severity Index score of 108.5 ± 3.8. In all patients on admission there was a high level of endogenous intoxication manifested by 1.8 times increasing levels of MM compared to the control group (0.262 ± 0.001 versus 0.146 ± 0.02 optic units, p < 0.05). There was a positive trend with a decline of MM on day 7 0.248 ± 0.001. No positive correlation was found between MM and other laboratory parameters with the exception of increased band neutrophils (r = 0.71, p < 0.05). ICUmortality constituted 21.7% (5/23). In patients who died MM level was 0.438 ± 0.002 optic units, which was 3 times higher compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusions Determining the plasma level of middle molecules can be used as an additional dynamic criterion of severity of endogenous intoxication in community-acquired pneumonia.