Observational studyScientific reports2025
Prospective observational study of cell-free DNA as a prognostic biomarker in COVID-19 and bacterial sepsis: COVSEP-study.
Observational study in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Profiling of human and microbial cell-free DNA reflects early host-pathogen interactions in sepsis.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Trial
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Hyperinflammation and extensive cell damage characterize both COVID-19-sepsis and bacterial sepsis, contributing to poor clinical outcomes. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA), a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP), reflects ongoing tissue injury and may predict mortality. We aimed to evaluate cfDNA as a prognostic biomarker for 30-day mortality in ICU patients with COVID-19- vs. bacterial sepsis, and its association with inflammatory markers and disease progression. In a prospective observational study (ethics approval: 2020-15,535; DRKS-ID: DRKS00025222), cfDNA was quantified in 64 ICU patients (COVID-19-sepsis n = 27, bacterial sepsis n = 37) at four time points using quantitative PCR targeting 90 bp and 222 bp fragments of LINE-1 elements. An Integrity Index (222/90 bp) was calculated to infer the predominant mode of cell death. Nineteen healthy individuals served as controls. Associations with mortality and clinical parameters were analyzed using adjusted Cox regression, time-dependent models, and correlation analyses. Higher cfDNA levels (90 bp) within the first 24 h were strongly associated with 30-day (p = 0.003) and 180-day mortality (p = 0.003) in COVID-19-sepsis, but not in bacterial sepsis. COVID-19 patients showed significantly higher cfDNA levels (p < 0.01), which correlated with CRP, PCT, LDH, and lactate. The Integrity Index increased over time in bacterial sepsis and remained stable in COVID-19-sepsis, but was not predictive of survival. Elevated cfDNA levels were associated with ECMO therapy but not with renal replacement therapy. cfDNA is a valuable early prognostic biomarker in COVID-19-sepsis. Its rapid dynamics and strong correlation with clinical outcomes highlight its potential for real-time monitoring and risk stratification in viral sepsis.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.