Biomarkers Identify Sepsis-Induced Organ Failure

A set of gene expression biomarkers have been identified that closely correlate with the cause of multiorgan failure in sepsis.

In a pilot study comprising 650 patients on a daily basis, the classifiers derived from more than 2,000 microarray analyses allowed the reliable differentiation between infectious and non-infectious causes of multiorgan failure.

The new classifiers will be incorporated into CE-approved biochip/quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays and validated against thousands of clinical blood samples. In the area of intensive-care medicine worldwide, there is a high medical demand for reliable, quick, and easy-to-use test systems. When identified early and reliably, sepsis could be successfully treated using patient-tailored therapies, thus improving considerably a patient's chances of survival.

The robust gene expression signature for sepsis was discovered by SIRS-Lab GmbH (Jena, Germany), a molecular diagnostics company developing tests for life-threatening infections. The results emerged from collaboration between SIRS-Lab, the University Clinics Jena, and Analytik Jena AG, supported by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research. The cooperation with the University Clinics Jena granted SIRS-Lab access to a worldwide bio-bank with clinical samples from hundreds of sepsis patients, which were essential for testing new biomarker candidates.

SIRS-Lab is a privately held diagnostic company developing unique and innovative products to identify and monitor life-threatening sepsis, one of the major causes of death in hospitals across the world.



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