Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Sepsis is a severe disorder that occurs when an infection results in a severe immune response, leading to organ failure. Studies have shown that the toxins released in our blood during an infection are carried inside cholesterol particles. In healthy people, these toxin-cholesterol particles are removed from circulation by the liver, decreasing the amount of toxins and consequently the risk of having the uncontrolled response that can progress to sepsis, organ(s) failure(s) and death. The protein PCSK9 regulates the cholesterol levels in our blood and might be important for the clearance of toxins in sepsis. People who have decreased levels of PCSK9 have more cholesterol receptors that clear the toxins that cause sepsis. The aim of my study was to determine if septic patients with decreased PCSK9 function are less prone to re-hospitalization(s) due to an infection, or are less likely to die within 1 year from their first sepsis episode, when compared to patients with normal function of PCSK9. I analyzed the rates of death or re-hospitalization in patients who were hospitalized due to sepsis at St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, and compared these rates between patients with normal versus decreased function of PCSK9 (as measured in a blood sample collected at the time of hospitalization). My findings showed that patients with decreased activity of PCSK9 had lower rates of new hospitalizations or death within 1-year than patients with normal function. Based on this, evaluation of PCSK9 activity in patients with sepsis may help doctors distinguish the patients at high risk of death or re-hospitalization. Results of a PCSK9 test could change the current care of these patients during their hospital stay and also after discharge. Moreover, my findings support future studies looking at the use of drugs that decrease PCSK9 function (currently available in the market for the treatment of patients with high cholesterol levels) for the treatment of patients with sepsis.