Relationship between the expression of TLR4 and TIRAP and sepsis in peripheral blood

Abstract

Objective: To explore the relationship between the expression of TLR4 and TIRAP and sepsis severity.

Methods: The study selected 30 healthy examinees as the control group and 53 patients with sepsis as the observation group. The patients in the observation group were assessed by Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II). 40 patients with APACHE II score ≤ 20, were classified into the low-score sepsis group; 13 patients with APACHE II score > 20, were classified into the high-score sepsis group. The levels of TLR4 and TIRAP in venous serum were detected in all subjects by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results: The levels of TLR4 and TIRAP in serum were 0.886 ± 0.058 ng/ml and 5.216 ± 0.410 ng/ml in the control group; 2.253 ± 0.379 ng/ml and 9.540 ± 2.294 ng/ml in the low-score sepsis group; 4.494 ± 0.709 ng/ml and 19.206 ± 1.755 ng/ml in the high-score sepsis group. The observation group (low-score and high-score sepsis groups) was significantly different from the control group (p = .000), and the low-score sepsis group was significantly different from the high-score sepsis group (p = .000). With APACHE II score of 20 as the cut-off point, the low-score sepsis group was consisted of low-risk patients and the high-score group was consisted of the high-risk, which can indicate the sepsis severity. According to Pearson’s correlation analysis, the level of TLR4 was positively correlated with sepsis severity (r = 0.931, p < .05), the level of TIRAP was also positively correlated with the sepsis severity (r = 0.972, p < .05); the level of TLR4 was positively correlated with the level of TIRAP (r = 0.936, p < .05).

Conclusions: The levels of TLR4 and TIRAP in septic patients can be used to predict and determine the severity of sepsis.