In vitro effects of HA-1A (Centoxin) on cytokine production in whole blood from intensive care unit patients

The cytokines interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) have been implicated in the pathophysiology of sepsis and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). The anti-endotoxin antibody, HA-1A (Centoxin), introduced as a treatment for sepsis, was withdrawn because of possible toxicity in some patients. There has been little investigation of the effects of HA-1A on cytokine production. Sixty-one whole blood samples from 15 intensive care unit (ICU) patients with SIRS were incubated for 24 h with HA-1A and concentrations of cytokines determined. Concentrations of IL-6 exceeded those in samples incubated without HA-1A by more than 25% in five patients, of whom four died. One death occurred among 10 patients for whom IL-6 concentrations did not increase (P = 0.03). Incubation with HA-1A did not increase concentrations of IL-1 beta or TNF alpha. HA-1A did not affect cytokine production in whole blood from healthy subjects. HA-1A may induce IL-6 production in whole blood from some ICU patients and this response is associated with increased mortality. Immune therapies for treatment of sepsis and SIRS require careful evaluation of their ability to affect cytokine production, before they are introduced for general use.