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Immune Dysfunction in Critical Illness: Utility of a Panel of Genes and Molecules Involved in the Immunological Synapse

Cuantificación de la Disfunción Inmunitaria Inducida Por la Enfermedad Crítica Mediante el Estudio de un Panel de Genes y Moléculas Implicadas en la Sinapsis Inmunológica y su Utilidad Pronóstica

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05954260
Acronym
EFIMERO
Enrollment
100
Registered
2023-07-20
Start date
2023-08-20
Completion date
2025-12-31
Last updated
2023-08-23

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Critical Illness

Keywords

Critical Illness

Brief summary

Critical illnesses represent a significant physiological assault that triggers changes in the patient's immune system, resulting in an immunopotentiating response (systemic inflammatory response syndrome, SIRS) and an immunosuppressive response (compensatory anti-inflammatory response syndrome, CARS). The balance between SIRS and CARS is essential for the patient to return to a state of immune homeostasis and accelerate the healing process. However, when CARS is disproportionately intense, it leads to a state of immunoparalysis, which predisposes the patient to vulnerability to opportunistic infections, associated with a peak in late mortality. The majority of patients admitted to the ICU are considered immunocompetent. However, the investigators suspect that a significant proportion of them exhibit predominance of CARS and a state of functional immunosuppression. There is currently no diagnostic test to determine whether a patient is functionally immunocompetent at a specific point in time. The goal of this observational study is to learn about the immune system dysfunction occurring in critical illness. The main questions it aims to answer are: * What is the prevalence of immune system dysfunction in critical illness? * Does immune system dysfunction affect multiple organ failure trajectory and mortality in critical illness? * Is immune system dysfunction related to an increased risk of opportunistic hospital-acquired infections in critical illness? * Is immune system dysfunction related to age, fragility, nutritional status or previous comorbidities in critical illness? To answer these questions, the investigators will prospectively study a population of critically ill patients, defined by the presence of organ failure. The investigators will analyse a panel of genes and molecules involved in immunological synapse, using peripheral blood samples at different moments of the evolution of critical illness. Based on the analysis, the investigators will classify the patients' functional immune status and correlate it with the outcomes.

Interventions

DIAGNOSTIC_TESTBlood sampling

We will collect blood samples from the patients included in the study on ICU days 1, 3 and 5. We will measure gene expression (mRNA) and plasma levels of various elements involved in the immunological synapse.

Sponsors

Hospital del Rio Hortega
CollaboratorOTHER
Sanidad de Castilla y León
CollaboratorOTHER
Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca
CollaboratorOTHER
Fundación Española del Enfermo Crítico (FEEC)
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Sociedad Española de Medicina Intensiva, Crítica y Unidades Coronarias (SEMICYUC)
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
David Pérez Torres
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Failure of one or more organs, assessed by a Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score (SOFA) ≥4 within the first 24 hours of admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). At least one of the physiological systems involved must be in the category of organ failure and, therefore, score ≥3. * Informed consent to participate in the study. * Age equal to or greater than 18 years.

Exclusion criteria

* Pharmacological immunosuppression within the 3 months prior to the current admission date, including treatment with corticosteroids, immunosuppressive drugs (conventional or biological), or chemotherapy. * Immunodeficiency. * Age under 18 years. * Absence of consent to participate in the study.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Proportion of patients with a functional immunosuppression signature5 daysNumber of patients with organ failure exhibiting an early transcriptomic signature denoting depression of the immunological synapse.
Organ Failure Resolution (28-day)28 daysNumber of patients with organ failure resolution in the groups with and without an early functional immunosuppression signature.
Hospital-Acquired Infection (28-day)28 daysNumber of patients developing hospital-acquired infections in the groups with and without an early functional immunosuppression signature.
Mortality (28-day)28 daysNumber of non-surviving patients in the groups with and without an early functional immunosuppression signature.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Proportion of patients requiring organ support90 daysNumber of patients who require organ support (mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, renal replacement therapy, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation,...) in the groups with and without an early functional immunosuppression signature.
Hospital-Acquired Infection (90-day)90 daysNumber of patients developing hospital-acquired infections in the groups with and without an early functional immunosuppression signature.
Duration of hospitalization in the ICU90 daysLength of stay in the ICU in the groups with and without an early functional immunosuppression signature.
Proportion of patients with early cardiac dysfunction5 daysNumber of patients who develop early cardiac dysfunction, as assessed by echocardiography, in the groups with and without an early functional immunosuppression signature.
Proportion of patients with Herpesviridae reactivation90 daysNumber of patients who develop Herpesviridae reactivation during ICU admission, in the groups with and without an early functional immunosuppression signature.
Proportion of patients with ICU-related complications90 daysNumber of patients who develop ICU-related complications during ICU admission, including ICU-acquired weakness, delirium, thrombosis or bleeding, in the groups with and without an early functional immunosuppression signature.
Proportion of patients with post-intensive care syndrome90 daysNumber of patients who develop post-intensive care syndrome, in the groups with and without an early functional immunosuppression signature.
Mortality (90-day)90 daysNumber of non-surviving patients in the groups with and without an early functional immunosuppression signature.

Other

MeasureTime frameDescription
Diagnosis-related differences in the proportion of patients with a functional immunosuppression signature5 daysNumber of patients with organ failure exhibiting an early transcriptomic signature denoting depression of the immunological synapse, grouped by diagnostic category on ICU admission.
Frailty status-related differences in the proportion of patients with a functional immunosuppression signature5 daysNumber of patients with organ failure exhibiting an early transcriptomic signature denoting depression of the immunological synapse, grouped by frailty status on ICU admission.
Nutritional status-related differences in the proportion of patients with a functional immunosuppression signature5 daysNumber of patients with organ failure exhibiting an early transcriptomic signature denoting depression of the immunological synapse, grouped by nutritional status on ICU admission.
Age-related differences in the proportion of patients with a functional immunosuppression signature5 daysNumber of patients with organ failure exhibiting an early transcriptomic signature denoting depression of the immunological synapse, grouped by predefined age categories.
Sex-related differences in the proportion of patients with a functional immunosuppression signature5 daysNumber of patients with organ failure exhibiting an early transcriptomic signature denoting depression of the immunological synapse, grouped by sex category.
Comorbid status-related differences in the proportion of patients with a functional immunosuppression signature5 daysNumber of patients with organ failure exhibiting an early transcriptomic signature denoting depression of the immunological synapse, grouped by previous comorbidities.

Countries

Spain

Contacts

Primary ContactDavid Pérez-Torres, MD
inmunologia-criticos@saludcastillayleon.onmicrosoft.com983420400
Backup ContactLuis Mariano Tamayo-Lomas, MD, PhD
inmunologia-criticos@saludcastillayleon.onmicrosoft.com983420400

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026