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NIJMEGEN – ICU patients often have inflammation and a reduction in the supply of oxygen to vital organs. Researchers Dorien Kiers and Matthijs Kox of Radboudumc have discovered that such a level of oxygen inhibits the immune response. The signal substance of adenosine and the anti-inflammatory protein interleukin-10 play an important role in this regard. Low oxygen content may protect the body from excessive inflammation
A violent inflammatory reaction can be harmful to the body. An example of this is the poisoning of blood, a common clinical picture of intensive care. At the same time, these patients often have a reduced oxygen supply to vital organs. Researchers in intensive care Dorien Kiers and Matthijs Kox Radboudumc wanted to know the link between these two phenomena. Dorien Kiers: "If the oxygen content has an effect on the immune response, we might be able to direct it consciously.This could provide a simple intervention.You can check the oxygen content by adjusting it during ventilation "
Infection at 5000 meters altitude
In a study of healthy subjects, researchers examined the effects of a reduced oxygen rate on response immune. . The volunteers received endotoxin, a disgusting component of the bacteria that elicited an immune response, while they wore some kind of helmet on their head. Kiers: "By mixing nitrogen and ambient air, we could reduce the oxygen content of the air in this helmet.When we normally breathe 21% oxygen, they breathe about 11% oxygen.This is comparable to when you are at 5000 meters altitude, just a little lower than the top of Kilimanjaro.You do not get stuffy at this subject, but you have much less oxygen in the blood.This had never been studied in humans before. "
Protection Against Excessive Inflammation [19659005] Dorien Kiers: "Something special happened … Subjects were found to produce twice as much of the low oxygen-content anti-inflammatory protein interleukin-10, while the amounts of protein pro- inflammatory diseases have been halved. " This anti-inflammatory effect of low levels of oxygen could be a protective mechanism of the body against excessive inflammation, Matthijs Kox thinks: "The reduced supply of oxygen to vital organs is common in the body. 39 inflammation, because for example the blood circulation is worse. You can imagine that the body wants to protect the organs against an excessive immune response that causes damage. "
Underlying Mechanism
Researchers also found that subjects exposed to reduced oxygen levels in their bloods.To better understand the mechanism of action, researchers have performed similar experiments in mice lacking genes for adenosine and interleukin-10. From these experiments have shown that the reduction of oxygen leads to increased production of adenosine, which in turn enhances the production of interleukin-10 .The effect of this is that the production of anti-inflammatory substances is strongly inhibited.
Use route
To influence the oxygen level in the treatment of IC patients, it is still too early, according to Kiers: "It is easy and technically certainly feasible, but if it is really safe, we must understand further. We have now looked at healthy people, but not sick patients. We examined the mechanism. If you know it well, you can check if you can also use this way with drugs, without reducing oxygen. "
Source: www.radboudumc.nl
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