Quantification of circulating cell-free plasma DNA and endothelial gene RNA in patients with burns and relation to acute thermal injury

Background: Major burn represents a multi-system insult to the human body. Despite improvements in mortality and morbidity, reliable predictors of outcome are lacking. Raised levels of cell-free nucleic acids have been detected in various pathological processes including bums. We quantified circulating nucleic acids as potential objective measures of burn severity with predictive and prognostic value. Methods: Expression of endothelial specific cell-free mRNA and cell-free DNA were measured in plasma of 19 burn patients at days 1-3 and week 10 following acute thermal injury and in 19 healthy controls by real-time quantitative PCR. Results: Expression of endothelial specific mRNA was higher in burn patients compared to controls (p < 0.001), DNA levels were significantly higher in the burn population in the first 48 h following injury. Plasma RNA and DNA levels related to %TBSA burn in the first 24 h and to the levels of circulating endothelial progenitor cells. Conclusions: We show that plasma levels of endothelial specific mRNA and DNA are elevated acutely following burns, and relate to severity in terms of %TBSA burnt. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.