Effect of ulinastatin treatment on the inflammatory factor expression and prognosis in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia

Objective To investigate the effect of ulinastatin treatment on the inflammatory factor expression and prognosis in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Methods One hundred patients with VAP were enrolled, and the patients were given the standardized treatment of VAP. The patents were divided into high dose group (33 cases, using the ulinastatin 20 000 U/d), normal dose group (34 cases, using the ulinastatin 10 000 U/d) and control group (33 cases, no using the ulinastatin) by random digits table method. The serum C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels at the first, third, fifth and seventh day of diagnosis were detected. All the patients were followed up for 1 month, and the antibiotics treatment time, mechanical ventilation time, ICU stay time and mortality were recorded. Results The CRP, procalcitonin, TNF-α and IL-6 from the first day of diagnosis to the seventh day of diagnosis in 3 groups showed the downward trend, and there were statistical differences (P 0.05). At the third, fifth and seventh day of diagnosis, the TNF-α levels in high dose group were (46.02±4.65), (23.88±7.76) and (11.05±2.56) ng/L, the IL-6 levels were (15.53±4.54), (11.33±3.45) and (6.62±2.45) ng/L; the TNF-α levels in normal dose group were (56.02±6.42), (38.88±9.34) and (27.05±3.42) ng/L, the IL-6 levels were (18.23±2.45), (15.33±4.34) and (11.23±3.34) ng/L; the TNF-α levels in control group were (68.13±4.77), (52.88±7.46) and (42.12±3.76) ng/L, the IL-6 levels were (20.02±3.23), (17.23±2.34) and (15.33±2.33) ng/L. The TNF-α and IL-6 levels at the third, fifth and seventh day of diagnosis in high dose group were significantly lower than those in normal dose group and control group, and those in the normal dose group were significantly lower than those in control group, and there were statistical differences (P 0.05). Conclusions Ulinastatin can inhibit the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α in patents with VAP, shorten the antibiotics treatment time, mechanical ventilation time, ICU stay time and mortality, and improve prognosis. Key words: Pneumonia, ventilator-associated; Prognosis; Ulinastatin; Inflammatory factor