Heparin-binding protein: an early indicator of critical illness and predictor of outcome in cardiac arrest.

AIM: To investigate plasma levels of the neutrophil-borne heparin-binding protein (HBP) in patients with induced hypothermia after cardiac arrest (CA), and to study any association to severity of organ failure, incidence of infection and neurological outcome.

METHODS: This study included 84 patients with CA of mixed origin who were treated with hypothermia. Plasma samples from 7 time points during the first 72 h after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) were collected and analyzed for HBP with an ELISA. Outcomes were dichotomized: a cerebral performance category scale (CPC) of 1-2 at 6 months follow-up was considered a good outcome, a CPC of 3-5, a poor outcome. Patient data, including APACHE II and SOFA-scores were retrieved from the computerized system for quality assurance for intensive care.

RESULTS: At 6 h and 12 h after CA, plasma levels of HBP were significantly higher among patients with a poor outcome. A receiver operated characteristics (ROC)-analysis yielded respective areas under curve (AUC) values of 0.68 and 0.70. This was similar to APACHE II and SOFA-score AUC values. There was a significant correlation between early elevated HBP-values and time to ROSC. HBP-levels were not higher in patients with infections at any time.

CONCLUSIONS: Elevated HBP is an early indicator of organ failure and poor neurological outcome after CA, independent of microbial infection, and should be further evaluated in prospective trials. The temporal profile of HBP is suggestive of a role in the pathogenesis of critical illness after CA.