Cerebrospinal Fluid Hemopexin as a Candidate Biomarker for Secondary Sepsis and In-Hospital Outcome After Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage: An Exploratory Translational Proteomics Study.

backgroundSecondary sepsis is a frequent and clinically important complication after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), but biomarkers linking hemorrhage-related heme stress to subsequent systemic complications remain poorly defined. We investigated cerebrospinal fluid hemopexin (CSF-HPX) as a candidate biomarker associated with hemorrhage burden, secondary sepsis, and in-hospital outcome after ICH.

methodsWe integrated a 2-hit exploratory animal proteomics model with a retrospective clinical CSF cohort. In rats, autologous blood-induced ICH was followed 6 h later by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), and soluble brain proteins collected at 24 h were analyzed by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In the clinical cohort, archived CSF samples obtained through routine external ventricular drainage within 24 h after surgery were analyzed in adults with first-ever spontaneous ICH (n = 41). HPX and vitamin D-binding protein(GC/VDBP) were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Secondary sepsis was identified using an operationalized Sepsis-3 framework after excluding infection or sepsis at admission.

resultsIn the animal model, ICH + CLP was associated with worse early survival than ICH alone (log-rank χ

conclusionsCSF-HPX may be a candidate biomarker associated with hemorrhage burden and risk of secondary sepsis after ICH. These findings are exploratory and require validation in larger prospective studies.