A. Siemiatkowski et al., von Willebrand factor antigen as a prognostic marker in posttraumatic acute lung injury, HAEMOSTASIS, 30(4), 2000, pp. 189-195
The specific endothelial cell product von Willebrand factor antigen (vWf:Ag
) was measured in plasma and lung function tests were carried out and the f
ollowing lung injury parameters measured: PaO2/FiO2 ratio, static respirato
ry compliance and Murray's lung injury score (LIS) in a follow-up study of
36 severely traumatized patients. Injury severity score (ISS) and APACHE II
scores were calculated. Patients were classified according to the presence
or absence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) complications and
survival versus death. Data collection was performed on admission to hospi
tal and after 1-3, 5, 7, 10 days of ICU stay. On all of the occasions inves
tigated, plasma vWf:Ag levels in ARDS patients and nonsurvivors were signif
icantly greater than those in patients without ARDS and survivors, respecti
vely. Significant correlations were observed between initial vWf:Ag concent
ration and ISS, APACHE II, LIS. Our study suggests that increased concentra
tions of vWf:Ag in plasma are predictive of the development of ARDS and sig
nal poor prognosis in patients following severe trauma. Copyright (C) 2001
S. Karger AG, Basel.