Predictive value of early measurement of cytokine levels for persistent inflammation-immunosuppression-catabolism syndrome in ICU patients: A retrospective study

Investigating cytokine levels in ICU patients reveals their potential in predicting the occurrence of Persistent Inflammatory Response-Immunosuppression-Catabolic Syndrome (PICS). Our study encompassed clinical data from ICU patients admitted between December 2020 and January 2022. The cohort was divided based on the incidence of PICS, and a comparative analysis was conducted on their clinical data. Using logistic regression, we identified independent factors influencing PICS. Among 132 patients meeting our inclusion criteria, 39 (31.70%) developed PICS. Significant differences were observed between the PICS and non-PICS groups in terms of average age, APACHE II scores, hospital stay duration, mortality, and infection rates. Notably, laboratory parameters indicated lower pre-albumin and IL-4 levels, alongside higher IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, and IFN-y levels in the PICS group. Multivariate analysis pinpointed pre-albumin, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10 as independent risk factors for PICS in ICU settings. Our findings underscore the importance of IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10 as key cytokines in the early detection and management of PICS, offering significant insights for clinical practice.