Xu Tao, Li Jiawei, Dong Yuqing, Zhao Zhijia, Yu Li
Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200065, P.R. China.
Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315040, P.R. China.
Exp Ther Med. 2025 Feb 24;29(4):83. doi: 10.3892/etm.2025.12833. eCollection 2025 Apr.
Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) caused by (PA) are a significant health concern, notably among vulnerable populations. The glycosphingolipid receptor globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) has been implicated in PA pathogenicity, however, its clinical implications remain underexplored. The present study aimed to investigate the clinical value of Gb3 concentrations in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) as a biomarker for PA-induced LRTIs. In the current prospective study, 54 PA-infected patients and 54 healthy individuals were enrolled as controls. Gb3 levels were measured using a Gb3 ELISA kit and the levels of inflammatory markers were assessed. The diagnostic accuracy of Gb3 was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The patients with PA-induced LRTIs exhibited significantly higher Gb3 concentration levels in both serum and BALF compared with those noted in healthy controls, with more pronounced elevations noted in BALF. The area under the ROC curve was 0.899 for serum Gb3 and 0.812 for BALF Gb3, indicating high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of PA infection. Gb3 levels were also found to be correlated with C-reactive protein and procalcitonin levels, suggesting its potential in reflecting infection severity. Overall, the present findings revealed a significant association between Gb3 levels and PA-induced LRTIs, proposing Gb3 as a promising biomarker for early detection and diagnosis. Further research is warranted to validate the role of Gb3 in various patient populations and to explore its dynamics over the course of infection.
由铜绿假单胞菌（PA）引起的下呼吸道感染（LRTIs）是一个重大的健康问题，在弱势群体中尤为明显。糖鞘脂受体球三糖神经酰胺（Gb3）与PA的致病性有关，然而，其临床意义仍未得到充分探索。本研究旨在探讨血清和支气管肺泡灌洗液（BALF）中Gb3浓度作为PA诱导的LRTIs生物标志物的临床价值。在当前的前瞻性研究中，招募了54例PA感染患者和54名健康个体作为对照。使用Gb3 ELISA试剂盒测量Gb3水平，并评估炎症标志物水平。使用受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析评估Gb3的诊断准确性。与健康对照相比，PA诱导的LRTIs患者血清和BALF中的Gb3浓度水平显著更高，BALF中的升高更为明显。血清Gb3的ROC曲线下面积为0.899，BALF Gb3为0.812，表明对PA感染诊断具有高敏感性和特异性。还发现Gb3水平与C反应蛋白和降钙素原水平相关，表明其在反映感染严重程度方面的潜力。总体而言，本研究结果揭示了Gb3水平与PA诱导的LRTIs之间的显著关联，提出Gb3作为早期检测和诊断的有前景的生物标志物。有必要进行进一步研究以验证Gb3在不同患者群体中的作用，并探索其在感染过程中的动态变化。
