Brief report: biomarkers of aortic vascular prosthetic graft infection in a porcine model with

• Published in: European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases Vol. 29; no. 11; pp. 1453 - 1456
• Main Authors: Langerhuus, S. N., Tønnesen, E. K., Jensen, K. H., Damgaard, B. M., Heegaard, P. M. H., Halekoh, U., Lauridsen, C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Verlag 13-07-2010
• Subjects: Life Sciences
• ISSN: 0934-9723; 1435-4373
• DOI: 10.1007/s10096-010-1008-x

Aortic vascular prosthetic graft infection (AVPGI) with is a feared post-operative complication. This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical signs and potential biomarkers of infection in a porcine AVPGI model. The biomarkers evaluated were: C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, white blood cells (WBC), major histocompatibility complex II (MHC II) density, lymphocyte CD4:CD8 ratio and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in vitro responsiveness. Sixteen pigs were included in the study, and randomly assigned into four groups ( = 4): "SHAM" pigs had their infra-renal aorta exposed by laparotomy; "CLEAN" pigs had an aortic graft inserted; "LOW" and "HIGH" pigs had an aortic graft inserted and, subsequently, were inoculated on the graft material (5 × 10 colony-forming units [CFU] and 1 × 10 CFU, respectively). Biomarkers were evaluated prior to surgery and on day 2, 5, 7, and 14 post-operatively in blood samples. Of all biomarkers evaluated, CRP was superior for diagnosing AVPGI in pigs, with a sensitivity of 0.86 and a specificity of 0.75.