Introduction: Inflammation and coagulation are closely interrelated processes in the pathogenesis of sepsis. This study aimed to determine whether intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) could improve the hyperinflammatory state and coagulation/fibrinolysis abnormalities in patients with sepsis.
Methods: Forty-one patients with sepsis were included. Nineteen patients were treated with IVIg (IVIg group; 5.0 g daily for 3 days within 2 days after hospitalization), and 22 patients were not (non-IVIg group). Inflammatory and coagulation/fibrinolysis molecular markers, Japanese Association for Acute Medicine disseminated intravascular coagulation score, and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score were evaluated in each group.
Results: On admission, patients in the IVIg group had a significantly more severe condition. In the IVIg group, after treatment, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and interleukin-6 levels significantly decreased relative to values on admission. Also, compared with admission, the various coagulation/fibrinolysis molecular markers decreased after treatment. Moreover, the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine disseminated intravascular coagulation score and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score also significantly decreased after treatment. In contrast, in the non-IVIg group, only interleukin-6 level and thrombin-antithrombin complex levels significantly decreased. The 28-day mortality rate of the IVIg group was approximately one third of the value of the non-IVIg group (IVIg: 5.3% vs non-IVIg: 18.2%).
Conclusions: Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment significantly improved hemostatic abnormalities along with the hyperinflammatory state in patients with sepsis. Accordingly, IVIg treatment should be classified as an adjunctive therapy for patients complicated with sepsis-induced coagulopathy.
Keywords: Coagulation; Coagulopathy; Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC); Inflammation; Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg); Sepsis.
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