Objective To study the diagnostic and prognostic value of serum soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell-1 (sTREM-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in abdominal infection-caused sepsis. Methods A total of 170 patients with abdominal infection treated in the First Hospital of Qinhuangdao between January 2019 and March 2022 were retrospectively selected and divided into sepsis group (n=76) and non-sepsis group (n=94) according to whether they were combined with abdominal infection-caused sepsis. In addition, 80 healthy people in the same period were selected as the control group. The levels of serum sTREM-1 and COX-2 in the three groups were detected and the differences were compared. The laboratory indexes, including white blood cell count, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin of patients with abdominal infection-caused sepsis were detected. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation System Ⅱ and prognosis (survival or death) of patients with abdominal infection-caused sepsis were evaluated. The correlations of serum sTREM-1 and COX-2 with the severity of sepsis were analyzed, and the diagnostic and prognostic value of sTREM-1 and COX-2 in abdominal infection-caused sepsis was assessed. Results The levels of serum sTREM-1 and COX-2 in the sepsis group were higher than those in the control group and the non-sepsis group (P<0.05). The levels of serum sTREM-1 and COX-2 in the sepsis group were positively correlated with white blood cell count, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation System Ⅱ score (P<0.05). The serum levels of sTREM-1 and COX-2 of patients who died during hospitalization in the sepsis group were higher than those of the surviving patients. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of the serum sTREM-1 and COX-2 levels for diagnosing sepsis caused by abdominal infection were 0.814 [95% confidence interval (CI) (0.746, 0.882), P<0.001] and 0.848 [95%CI (0.788, 0.905), P<0.001], respectively, with critical values of 1.879 pg/mL and 18.75 ng/mL, respectively, and those for predicting the prognosis of patients with sepsis caused by abdominal infection were 0.775 [95%CI (0.659, 0.890), P<0.001] and 0.784 [95%CI (0.679, 0.889), P<0.001], respectively, with critical values of 2.283 pg/mL and 23.02 ng/mL, respectively (P<0.05). Conclusion The serum levels of sTREM-1 and COX-2 have certain value in the diagnosis and prognosis prediction of abdominal infection-caused sepsis.
Bloodstream infections are featured by acute onset, rapid progression and high mortality. Early identification and accurate prognostic assessment are crucial for improving patient outcomes. This article reviews five novel biomarkers in assessing the severity and prognosis of patients with acute bloodstream infection, namely soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell-1, soluble form of the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor, presepsin, heparin-binding protein and microRNAs, all of which are positively correlated with the severity of patients’ condition, and some perform better than traditional biomarkers. However, they still have limitations such as inadequate specificity or sensitivity and lack of large-scale verification. In the future, it is necessary to integrate molecular detection and artificial intelligence to optimize application strategies and provide personalized diagnosis and treatment.