SERUM LEVELS OF END-PRODUCTS OF NITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHESIS CORRELATE POSITIVELY WITH TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR A AND NEGATIVELY WITH BODY-TEMPERATURE IN PATIENTS WITH POSTOPERATIVE ABDOMINAL SEPSIS

Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated as the principal mediator of the catecholamine resistant vasodilation in septic shock. In this pilot study, we wanted to know if the serum values of nitrite/nitrate (NO2/NO3), the stable endproducts of NO biosynthesis, are elevated in patients with septic shock. Furthermore, we investigated whether there is a correlation between NO2/NO3 serum levels and tumor necrosis factor alpha or interleukin 6. NO2/NO3 serum values were significantly elevated in septic patients compared to controls (72.1 +/- 6.1 vs. 35.7 +/- 9.2 mu M, p <.001). There was a significant positive correlation between serum values of NO2/NO3 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (r(s) = 0.59, p <.001). In contrast, no correlation between NO2/NO3 and interleukin 6 was found. With the exception of body core temperature, which showed a negative correlation with NO2/NO3 levels, no clinical variable turned out to be significantly related to NO biosynthesis. These data indicate a potential role for NO in the clinical course of abdominal sepsis, but points out that more specific data has to be evaluated by prospective clinical studies in order to understand the complex pathophysiologic role of this novel mediator.