Resumen

GARCES, Mª Fátima et al. Marcadores de inflamación y disfunción endotelial en niños con infección bacteriana. Arch Venez Puer Ped [online]. 2010, vol.73, n.4, pp.008-014. ISSN 0004-0649.

Markers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in children with bacterial infections. Atherosclerosis begins early in life and endothelial dysfunction is recognized as the key initiating event in the development of atherosclerosis. Objective: to study biomarkers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in children with bacterial infection. Methods: the study included 36 children (6 months-10 years 11 months) hospitalized with the diagnosis of bacterial infection. Venous blood was extracted in three phases: I (acute phase of infection, entry), II (convalescence, 1 week post-admission), III (recovery, 1 month post-admission). 32 children who attended the healthy children outpatient clinic were the control group. The following parameters were assessed in all patients and controls: cholesterol and its fractions, triglycerides, total and fractionated proteins, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, IL-6, nitric oxide. Results: children with infection had high total cholesterol levels with increased LDL-C and Lp (a)-C fractions in phase I, rising to a peak in phase II and decreasing as the child recovers. Infected children also had an increased inflammatory profile mediated by IL-6, with the subsequent increase in hsCRP and alpha 2 globulin, which decrease as the child recovers. Endothelial dysfunction markers sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1 increase at admission and decrease as the child recovers. Inflammation markers (IL-6, hsCRP) correlate positively with markers of endothelial dysfunction (sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1). Nitric oxide levels are decreased in all three phases. Conclusion: Acute infection in childhood is associated with damage to the endothelium. These results support the potential role of inflammatory stimuli in the pathogenesis of early atherosclerosis.

Palabras clave : children; bacterial infection; inflammation; endothelial dysfunction.