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Inflammatory Signaling in Vascular Endothelial Cells

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Cell Biology and Pathology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 1986

Special Issue Editor

Department of Medical Biotechnology, College of Bio Nano Information Technology (BNIT), Inje University, Gimhae, Republic of Korea
Interests: vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis; extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling; ECM/integrin-dependent endothelial signaling and phenotype; fluid shear stress-dependent endothelial mechanotransduction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Endothelial cells lining the innermost layer of vasculatures actively participate in homeostasis maintenance in healthy individuals and remodeling processes in development or pathological conditions. These cells are exposed to and respond to blood flow, regulate blood vessel dilation, and promote barrier function, protecting surrounding tissues from fluid leakage or pathogen infiltration. Endothelial cells are part of immune systems and contribute to host defenses by actively participating in inflammation via recruiting immune cells such as monocytes and T-cells. This endothelial inflammation is tightly controlled by mechanisms such as laminar blood flow-induced KLF2 signaling. However, sterile endothelial inflammation involving the key inflammatory mediators NFkB or Yap, triggered by many different humoral or mechanical factors, often leads to various vascular diseases including atherosclerosis, aortic aneurysms, and pulmonary arterial hypertension. The aim of this Special Issue is to provide readers updated research on endothelial function in vascular inflammatory diseases in the form of reviews and novel research articles. The issue will cover various topics related to vascular inflammation, including but not limited to:

  • Mechanism of endothelial inflammatory signaling;
  • Function of endothelial cells and their inflammatory signaling in diseases;
  • Endothelial phenotypes and plasticity in inflammatory diseases;
  • Endothelial inflammation regulated by metabolic pathways;
  • Endothelial mechanotransduction and inflammation.

Dr. Sanguk Yun
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • vascular inflammation
  • endothelial cells
  • endothelial dysfunction
  • vascular diseases
  • endothelial phenotypes

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 1035 KiB  
Article
Lactate Clearance of the Adsorber Cytosorb® in Critically Ill Patients: A Post-Hoc Analysis of the Cyto-SOLVE Trial
by Vassilissa Wustrow, Caroline Gräfe, Helen Graf, Patrick Scheiermann, Michael Paal, Michael Vogeser, Uwe Liebchen and Christina Scharf
Biomedicines 2025, 13(2), 418; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13020418 - 10 Feb 2025
Viewed by 538
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Patients with shock suffer from hyperlactatemia, which can lead to endothelial dysfunction. The use of the adsorber Cytosorb® (CS) is recommended in these patients as it may contribute to higher lactate clearance and hemodynamic stabilization. However, it is unclear whether [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Patients with shock suffer from hyperlactatemia, which can lead to endothelial dysfunction. The use of the adsorber Cytosorb® (CS) is recommended in these patients as it may contribute to higher lactate clearance and hemodynamic stabilization. However, it is unclear whether CS can directly adsorb lactate and can therefore increase lactate clearance. Methods: The Cyto-SOLVE trial included patients undergoing continuous kidney replacement therapy combined with CS application. Patients with a lactate concentration > 2 mmol/L and measurements of lactate pre- and post-adsorber, as well as measurements in the blood 10 min and 1, 3, 6, and 12 h after initiation were selected. Lactate clearance was calculated using the following formula: bloodflow(mL/min) × concentrationpre−post/concentrationpre. A t-test was used with the collected samples. Changes in the lactate concentration and vasopressor requirement were recorded before initiation and at the end of therapy. Results: Sixty-five lactate concentrations were measured pre- and post-CS application, as well as in patients’ blood, in a total of 14 patients (median age of 52 years, 10 males, median SAPS-II 67). There was no significant change in the lactate concentration pre- and post-CS application (mean pre-CS: 6.7 mmol/L, mean post-CS: 6.9 mmol/L, RR: −0.2, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.4–0.1, p = 0.13, Cohen’s d: 0.90). The mean lactate clearance was −6 mL/min (standard deviation (SD): 21 mL/min), with no correlation with the initial lactate concentration or blood flow. In contrast, the mean lactate clearance measured using the dialyzer was 39 mL/min (SD: 28 mL/min). When comparing values before and after treatment, no significant change was observed in the lactate blood concentrations (mean of 9.0 vs. 8.5 mmol/L), nor in the requirement for vasopressin (median of 1.9 vs. 1.8 IE/h) or norepinephrine (mean of 2.7 vs. 2.6 mg/h). Conclusions: The adsorber CS cannot directly adsorb lactate, unlike kidney replacement therapy. Therefore, it is not suitable for achieving faster extracorporeal lactate elimination. Understanding the adsorption spectrum is of great relevance and should be considered when using CS in clinical practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inflammatory Signaling in Vascular Endothelial Cells)
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Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Flowchart of patient selection for post hoc analysis.</p>
Full article ">Figure 2
<p>The lactate clearance of Cytosorb<sup>®</sup> and the dialyzer and the lactate blood concentration. Note: the green boxplots illustrate a lactate clearance (mL/min) of about 30–40 mL/min for the dialyzer, which is comparable to the existing literature. The blue boxplots show the lactate clearance (mL/min) of Cytosorb<sup>®</sup>, which settles around 0 mL/min, with more than half of the calculated lactate clearances being negative. The red boxplots present the lactate concentrations at baseline and after 6 and 12 h in patients’ blood, with no significant change during the application of Cytosorb<sup>®</sup> combined with continuous dialysis. The boxplot includes the interquartile range (IQR). The horizontal line represents the median, while the × represents the mean value. The whiskers are limited to 1.5 times the IQR, while outliers are shown as individual points.</p>
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<p>Norepinephrine and vasopressin dosage before, during, and at the end of Cytosorb<sup>®</sup> application. Note: green boxplots illustrate norepinephrine dosage (mg/h), and blue boxplots show vasopressin dosage (U/h) at baseline and after 6 and 12 h. There was no significant change in catecholamine requirement during application of Cytosorb<sup>®</sup>. The boxplot includes the interquartile range (IQR). The horizontal line represents the median, while the × represents the mean value. The whiskers are limited to 1.5 times the IQR, while outliers are shown as individual points.</p>
Full article ">
10 pages, 757 KiB  
Article
Angiopoietin II in Critically Ill Septic Patients: A Post Hoc Analysis of the DRAK Study
by Veronika Bucher, Helen Graf, Johannes Zander, Uwe Liebchen, Danilo Hackner, Caroline Gräfe, Martin Bender, Michael Zoller and Christina Scharf
Biomedicines 2024, 12(11), 2436; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12112436 - 23 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1044
Abstract
Introduction: Angiopoietin II (Ang-II) plays a pivotal role in the development of microcirculatory dysfunction as it provokes endothelial barrier disruption in patients with sepsis or septic shock. In particular, those with acute kidney injury show high Ang-II concentrations. So far, it is unclear [...] Read more.
Introduction: Angiopoietin II (Ang-II) plays a pivotal role in the development of microcirculatory dysfunction as it provokes endothelial barrier disruption in patients with sepsis or septic shock. In particular, those with acute kidney injury show high Ang-II concentrations. So far, it is unclear which covariates influence Ang-II concentration in the early phase of sepsis, especially if extracorporeal therapies also do. Methods: Ang-II concentrations were measured in 171 patients with sepsis after the first day of antibiotic treatment between 03/2013 and 01/2015. Ang-II was correlated with potential influencing factors (Spearman correlation). A multivariate model was established including the significant correlating parameters. The Mann–Whitney U test and the Kruskal–Wallis test were used to detect significant differences in Ang-II concentration. Results: The median Ang-II concentration was 8015 pg/mL (interquartile range (IQR): 5024–14,185). A total of forty patients were treated with kidney replacement therapy (KRT) and 20 were supported by venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vv-ECMO). Sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score (r = 0.541), creatinine clearance (r = −0.467), urinary output (r = −0.289), interleukin (IL)-6 (r = 0.529), C-reactive protein (CRP) (r = 0.241), platelet count (r = −0.419), bilirubin (r = 0.565), lactate (r = 0.322), KRT (r = 0.451), and fluid balance (r = 0.373) significantly correlated with Ang-II concentration and were included in the multivariate model. There, creatinine clearance (p < 0.01, b = −26.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) −41.8–−10.8), fluid balance (p = 0.002, b = 0.92, 95% CI 0.33–1.51), and CRP (p = 0.004, b = 127.6, 95% CI 41.6–213.7) were associated with Ang-II concentration. Furthermore, patients with KRT (median: 15,219 pg/mL, IQR: 10,548–20,270) had significantly (p < 0.01) higher Ang-II concentrations than those with vv-ECMO support (median: 6412 pg/mL, IQR: 5246–10,257) or those without extracorporeal therapy (median: 7156 pg/mL, IQR: 4409–12,741). Conclusion: Increased CRP, positive fluid balance, and impaired kidney function were associated with higher Ang-II concentrations in critically ill patients in the early stage of sepsis in this post hoc analysis. In particular, patients with KRT had very high Ang-II concentrations, whereas the use of vv-ECMO was not related to higher Ang-II concentrations. The significance for clinical practice should be clarified by a prospective study with standardized measurements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inflammatory Signaling in Vascular Endothelial Cells)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Ang-II concentrations in three different subgroups (fluid balance, CRP, kidney function). Note: The first three boxplots include patients with a fluid balance &lt; 0 mL/24 h (blue), CRP &lt; 10 mg/dL (orange), and creatinine clearance &gt; 60 mL/min (gray). The second three boxplots include patients with a fluid balance 0–1500 mL/min (blue), CRP 10–20 mg/dL, and creatinine clearance &lt; 60 mL/min (gray). The last three boxplots include patients with a fluid balance &gt; 1500 mL/24 h, CRP &gt; 20 mg/dL (orange), and kidney replacement therapy (gray). The boxes of the boxplots represent the interquartile range (IQR) and the horizontal line represents the median. The whiskers are limited to 1.5 times the IQR. The mean is indicated by the cross.</p>
Full article ">Figure 2
<p>The percentage of patients with Ang-II concentrations &lt; 5000, 5000–10,000, 10,000–20,000, and &gt;20,000 pg/mL in the subgroups with KRT, vv-ECMO, and no extracorporeal therapy.</p>
Full article ">
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