Assessment of the Anti-inflammatory Effect of Heparin Infusion Versus Subcutaneous Injection in Septic Patients

Summary

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep venous thrombosis (DVT), is a common and severe complication of critical illness. Critically ill patients are at high risk of VTE because they combine both general risk factors together with specific ICU risk factors of VTE. Vasopressor administration was found to be an independent risk factor for DVT. certainly explained by reduced absorption of subcutaneous heparin linked to the vasoconstriction of peripheral blood vessels. For critically ill patients, due to the altered pharmacokinetics behavior of unfractionated heparin, continuous intravenous infusion of the low doses of unfractionated heparin has been proposed. Standard prophylaxis with subcutaneous (SC) heparin is less efficient in patients requiring vasopressors. Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response due to an infection. Both inflammatory mediators and coagulation are involved in sepsis. the release of inflammatory mediators such as interleukins and tumor necrosis factor causes damage to the endothelium and activation of coagulation which promotes the inflammatory process. Unfractionated heparin is the most negatively charged biological molecule known, heparin has a strong ability to interfere with the functioning of positively charged molecules. Due to the difference in charges, heparin has been documented to interact with over 100 proteins.57 Interleukins, cytokines, and receptors located on endothelial cells, which are involved in the acute phase response, are positively charged and thus are a reasonable target for the modulating effects of heparin. Heparin has strong anti-inflammatory effects with many possible mechanisms, including binding to cell-surface glycosaminoglycans, preventing leukocyte migration, direct binding to chemokines and cytokines, and inhibition of intracellular NF-kB.

Timeline

Start

2020-08-29

Primary completion

2022-10-11

Completion

2022-10-11

Publications

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• Background Dorffler-Melly J, de Jonge E, Pont AC, Meijers J, Vroom MB, Buller HR, Levi M. Bioavailability of subcutaneous low-molecular-weight heparin to patients on vasopressors. Lancet. 2002 Mar 9;359(9309):849-50. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(02)07920-5.
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• Background Hirsh J, Raschke R. Heparin and low-molecular-weight heparin: the Seventh ACCP Conference on Antithrombotic and Thrombolytic Therapy. Chest. 2004 Sep;126(3 Suppl):188S-203S. doi: 10.1378/chest.126.3_suppl.188S.
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• Background Wang C, Chi C, Guo L, Wang X, Guo L, Sun J, Sun B, Liu S, Chang X, Li E. Heparin therapy reduces 28-day mortality in adult severe sepsis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Crit Care. 2014 Oct 16;18(5):563. doi: 10.1186/s13054-014-0563-4.
• Background Lorente L, Martin MM, Borreguero-Leon JM, Sole-Violan J, Ferreres J, Labarta L, Diaz C, Jimenez A, Paramo JA. Sustained high plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels are associated with severity and mortality in septic patients. Thromb Res. 2014 Jul;134(1):182-6. doi: 10.1016/j.thromres.2014.04.013. Epub 2014 Apr 29.
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• Background Li L, Pian Y, Chen S, Hao H, Zheng Y, Zhu L, Xu B, Liu K, Li M, Jiang H, Jiang Y. Phenol-soluble modulin alpha4 mediates Staphylococcus aureus-associated vascular leakage by stimulating heparin-binding protein release from neutrophils. Sci Rep. 2016 Jul 7;6:29373. doi: 10.1038/srep29373.
• Background Chen S, Xie W, Wu K, Li P, Ren Z, Li L, Yuan Y, Zhang C, Zheng Y, Lv Q, Jiang H, Jiang Y. Suilysin Stimulates the Release of Heparin Binding Protein from Neutrophils and Increases Vascular Permeability in Mice. Front Microbiol. 2016 Aug 26;7:1338. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01338. eCollection 2016.
• Background Tyden J, Herwald H, Hultin M, Wallden J, Johansson J. Heparin-binding protein as a biomarker of acute kidney injury in critical illness. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2017 Aug;61(7):797-803. doi: 10.1111/aas.12913. Epub 2017 Jun 5.
• Background Fisher J, Russell JA, Bentzer P, Parsons D, Secchia S, Morgelin M, Walley KR, Boyd JH, Linder A. Heparin-Binding Protein (HBP): A Causative Marker and Potential Target for Heparin Treatment of Human Sepsis-Induced Acute Kidney Injury. Shock. 2017 Sep;48(3):313-320. doi: 10.1097/SHK.0000000000000862.
• Background Lin Q, Shen J, Shen L, Zhang Z, Fu F. Increased plasma levels of heparin-binding protein in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Crit Care. 2013 Jul 24;17(4):R155. doi: 10.1186/cc12834.

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