Serum MIP-1α and IL-8 in septic patients

We studied blood MIP-1α and IL-8 in 38 septic patients and 5 healthy volunteers. Both chemokines were undetectable in the healthy volunteers. In sepsis, serum MIP-1α was detected in 45% of the patients and IL-8 in 84%. The levels of MIP-1α, but not of IL-8, correlated with CRP, IL-6 and TNFα levels. Complications, including various organ failures and mortality, showed no correlation with serum MIP-1α levels. In contrast, we found increased levels of serum IL-8 in septic patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation, central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction or renal failure, and the mortality rate was higher in the IL-8-detectable group than in the IL-8 undetectable group (50% vs 0%, p < 0.05). In conclusion, the production of both MIP-1α and IL-8 was increased and initially detectable levels of circulating IL-8 predicted high mortality in sepsis.