Kinin activation in the blood of patients with sepsis.

To determine whether or not kinin activation in the blood during severe infection with gram-negative bacteria may be related to hemodynamic abnormalities encountered, blood prekallikrein, kallikrein inhibitor and kinin values in 2l surgical patients with sepsis were compared with those in normotensive and hypotensive states. Because of reduced prekallikrein synthesis in patients with hepatic insufficiency, the normotensive and hypotensive groups were each subdivided according to the presence or absence of liver dysfunction, as indicated by elevated blood bilirubin, serum glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase or alkaline phosphatase levels. The mortality was zero in group 1, normotensive normal liver function; 80 per cent in group 2, hypotensive-normal liver function; 20 per cent in group 3, normotensive liver dysfunction, and 67 per cent in group 4, hypotensive liver dysfunction. Ultimately, the majority of deaths were due to respiratory failure. Although the blood prekallikrein level, was below normal in all groups and was significantly less in all patients with liver dysfunction, it was reduced proportionately in hypotensive patients to less than 30 per cent of the values noted in the two normotensive groups. This finding suggests prekallikrein consumption in the hypotensive groups to be the result of the process of activating kallikrein and bradykinin. This concept is supported by finding elevated kinin values, above 3 nanograms per milliliter of plasma, in only 28 per cent of those in group 1 and 12 per cent of those in group 3, while in the hypotensive patients, groups 2 and 4, the kinin level was elevated in 60 and 66 per cent, respectively.