Elevated Plasma Concentrations of Syndecan-1 Do Not Correlate With Increased Capillary Leakage of 20% Albumin

BACKGROUND:

Preclinical experiments show that an inflammatory reaction causes degradation of the endothelial glycocalyx layer and accelerated capillary leakage of albumin and fluid. The hypothesis in the present study was that elevated plasma concentrations of glycocalyx degradation products are associated with greater capillary leakage in humans.

METHODS:

This open clinical trial involved administration of an intravenous infusion of 20% albumin at 3 mL/kg over 30 minutes to 15 postburn patients who showed an activated inflammatory response. Blood samples and urine were collected for 300 minutes. The plasma concentrations of 2 biomarkers of glycocalyx degradation—syndecan-1 and heparan sulfate—were measured at 0, 60, and 300 minutes and compared to the capillary leakage of albumin and fluid obtained by mass balance calculations and population kinetic analysis.

RESULTS:

Patients were studied at 7 days (median) after a burn injury that covered 15% (maximum 48%) of the body surface area. The median plasma syndecan-1 concentration was 71 (25th–75th percentiles, 41–185) ng/mL. The 2 patients with highest values showed 2279 and 2395 ng/mL (normal 15 ng/mL). Heparan sulfate concentrations averaged 915 (673–1539) ng/mL. The infused amount of albumin was 57 (48–62) g, and 6.3 (5.1–7.7)% of that leaked from the plasma per hour.

Linear correlation analysis of the relationship between the ¹⁰logarithm of the mean syndecan-1 and the albumin leakage showed a slope coefficient of −1.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], −3.6 to 1.0) and a correlation coefficient of −0.33 (P = .24). The kinetic analysis revealed that syndecan-1 served as a statistically significant covariate to the albumin leakage, but the relationship was inverse (power exponent −0.78, 95% CI, −1.50 to −0.05; P < .02). Heparan sulfate levels did not correlate with the capillary leakage of albumin or fluid in any of the analyses.

CONCLUSIONS:

A raised plasma concentration of syndecan-1 alone cannot be extrapolated to indicate increased capillary leakage of albumin and fluid.