Early changes of plasma angiopoietin-2 in patients with multiple trauma.

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to investigate the early changes of plasma levels of angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) in patients with multiple trauma and the relations of plasma Ang-2, endothelial injury, and prognosis.
METHODS: This study comprised 59 patients with multiple trauma who had been treated at the emergency department of Liao Cheng People's Hospital from January 2008 to January 2010. Among them, 36 were male and 23 female. Their average age was 32.3±11.5 years. The 59 patients were divided into a severe trauma group (ISS≥16 points, 29 patients) and a slight trauma group (ISS<16 points, 30 patients) by injury severity score (ISS). Thirty healthy people aged more than 18 years with an average of 33.5±10.6 years served as controls (19 male and 11 female). Peripheral blood (10 mL) was collected within 10 minutes after the patients arrived at the emergency department, and plasma was separated from the blood. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to detect the levels of angiopoietin 2, thrombomodulin (TM), and Von willebrand factor (vWF).
RESULTS: The level of Ang-2 in the severe trauma group (ISS score≥16 points) was significantly higher than that in the slight trauma group (ISS score<16 points) (P<0.05). The levels in the two groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The levels of angiopoietin-2 in deaths were significantly higher than those in survivors (P<0.05). The levels of angiopoietin-2 were significantly correlated with the levels of vWF and TM (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: The plasma levels of Ang-2 are significantly higher after multiple trauma, and correlated with the degree of trauma severity. The levels of angiopoietin-2 are correlated with endothelial injury after multiple trauma, and are important values for the prognosis of patients with multiple trauma.