Prediction of Th17/Treg cell balance on length of stay in intensive care units of patients with sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged length of stay (LOS) of sepsis can drain a hospital's material and human resources. This study investigated the correlations between T helper type 17 (Th17) and regulatory T (Treg) balance with LOS in sepsis.

METHODS: A prospective clinical observational study was designed in Changhai Hospital affiliated to Naval Medical University in Shanghai, China, from January to October 2020. The patients diagnosed with sepsis and who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited and whether the levels of cytokines, procalcitonin, subtypes, and biomarkers of T cells in the peripheral blood were detected. We analyzed the correlation between these and LOS.

RESULTS: Sixty septic patients were classified into two groups according to whether their intensive care unit (ICU) stay exceeded 14 days. The patients with LOS ≥14 days were older ([72.6±7.5] years vs . [63.3±10.4] years, P =0.015) and had higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) (median [interquartile range]: 6.5 [5.0-11.0] vs . 4.0 [3.0-6.0], P =0.001) and higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores (16.0 [13.0-21.0] vs . 8.5 [7.0-14.0], P =0.001). There was no difference in other demographic characteristics and cytokines, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-10 between the two groups. The Th17/Treg ratio of sepsis with LOS <14 days was considerably lower (0.48 [0.38-0.56] vs . 0.69 [0.51-0.98], P =0.001). For patients with LOS ≥14 days, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the Th17/Treg ratio was 0.766. It improved to 0.840 and 0.850 when combined with the SOFA and APACHE II scores, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: The Th17/Treg ratio was proportional to septic severity and can be used as a potential predictor of ICU stay in sepsis, presenting a new option for ICU practitioners to better care for patients with sepsis.