PERITONITIS: London scientists delve into infections' mysteries

[okarol]

London scientists delve into infections' mysteries

Wed, October 10, 2007

Robarts researchers can predict how serious an infection could become.

By JOHN MINER, SUN MEDIA

London scientists have discovered a way to predict if an infection will develop into a life-threatening illness or be something the patient can fight off without hospital care.

The infection studied by Robarts Research Institute and University of Western Ontario researchers is peritonitis -- an infection of the abdominal cavity that can be caused by a burst appendix, gallbladder or a rupture of the intestine.

Peritonitis also regularly hits people who are on peritoneal dialysis, in which a tube is placed in the abdominal cavity.

A popular method of dialysis for patients with kidney failure because it can be done at home, peritoneal dialysis results in an infection for a patient about once every 18 months.

Led by Joaquin Madrenas, Canada research chair in immunobiology at Western, the scientists found the presence of high levels of a protein molecule, RIP2, in the dialysis patient with an infection means the individual can be sent home and treated with antibiotics.

But if RIP2 levels don't climb when there is an infection, the patient should be admitted to hospital and closely monitored, Mandrenas said yesterday.

"If the levels are low we are looking at a very severe infection and sometimes it is not going to respond well to treatment," he said.

Being able to predict who won't require hospital treatment will save the health-care system money.

"Most importantly it makes life more pleasant for the patients that can be sent home," Mandrenas said.

What the researchers don't know is what RIP2 actually does.

"That is one of the major challenges we still have. We don't know how it works," he said.

While the researchers concentrated on infection in the abdominal cavity, Mandrenas said he's confident their discovery will also indicate the seriousness of inflammations in other areas such as the lung cavity.

"It is what we call a good bio marker," Mandrenas said.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/CityandRegion/2007/10/10/4563684-sun.html