Determination of norfloxacin in human plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection

A method for the determination of norfloxacin in human plasma and urine is described. Plasma samples were deproteinized using acetonitrile. The supernatant was analysed by C18 HPLC. Fluorescence detection at an excitation wavelength of 300 nm and an emission wavelength of 450 nm was utilized. The assay was validated in the concentration range of 31 to 2507 ng/ml when 0.5-ml aliquots of plasma were handled. The intra-day precision of the spiked quality control samples ranged from +/- 0.37 to +/- 4.14% in plasma (concentration range: 70.3-2109.2 ng/ml) and from +/- 0.51 to +/- 1.56% in urine (concentration range: 7.5-299.4 micrograms/ml). The intra-day accuracy obtained for norfloxacin in the quality control samples ranged from -5.18% to -9.47% in plasma and from -10.56% to - 5.91% in urine. The assay has been used to support human pharmacokinetic studies.     

Genotoxicity of ribo- and deoxyribonucleosides of 8-hydroxyguanine, 5-hydroxycytosine, and 2-hydroxyadenine: induction of SCE in human lymphocytes and mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium TA 100

We have established a highly sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of an anticancer drug, UCN-01, in human plasma or urine. Using a fluorescence detector set at an excitation wavelength of 310 nm and emission monitored at 410 nm, there was a good linearity for UCN-01 in human plasma (r=0.999) or urine (r=0.999) at concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 100 ng/ml or 1 to 400 ng/ml, respectively. For intra-day assay, in plasma samples, the precision and accuracy were 1.8% to 5.6% and -10.0% to 5.2%, respectively. For inter-day assay, the precision and accuracy were 2.0% to 18.2% and 2.4% to 10.0%, respectively. In urine samples, the intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy were within 3.9% and +/-2.7%, respectively. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was set at 0.2 ng/ml in plasma and 1 ng/ml in urine. UCN-01 in plasma samples was stable up to two weeks at -80 degrees C and also up to four weeks in urine samples. This method could be very useful for studying the human pharmacokinetics of UCN-01.     

Determination of N,N',N"-triethylenthiophosphoramide in biological samples using capillary gas chromatography

A sensitive assay for the determination of N,N',N"-triethylenthiophosphoramide (thioTEPA) in microvolumes of human plasma and urine has been developed. ThioTEPA was analysed using gas chromatography with selective nitrogen-phosphorus detection, after extraction with ethyl acetate from the biological matrix. Diphenylamine is the internal standard. The limit of quantitation was 0.1 ng/ml, using only 100 microl of sample; recoveries ranged between 85 and 100% and both accuracy and precision were less than 10%. Using a flame ionisation nitrogen-phosphorus detector, the assay was not linear over the concentration range of 2-1000 ng/ml for plasma and 10-1000 ng/ml for urine. Linearity was accomplished in the range of 1-1000 ng/ml for plasma and urine when a thermionic nitrogen/phosphorous detector was used. The stability of thioTEPA in plasma proved to be satisfactory over a period of 3 months, when kept at -20 degrees C, whereas it was stable in urine for at least 1 month at -80 degrees C. ThioTEPA plasma concentrations of two patients treated with thioTEPA are presented demonstrating the applicability of the assay.     

Sensitive chiral high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for labetalol in biological fluids

The four stereoisomers of the combined alpha- and beta-adrenoceptor antagonist labetalol were separated and quantified at therapeutic concentrations by normal-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography using a chiral stationary phase and fluorescence detection. Drug in plasma or urine was recovered by solid-phase extraction with 83+/-5% efficiency. Limits of detection from biological samples (3 ml) were between 1.5-1.8 ng ml(-1). Intra-day and inter-day variation at 25 ng ml(-1) were < or = 2.7% and < or = 5.80% respectively for all stereoisomers. The assay was applied to an examination of the disposition of labetalol stereoisomers after a single oral dose of racemate to a human volunteer. Labetalol appears to undergo enantioselective metabolism leading to relatively low plasma concentrations of the pharmacologically active enantiomers.     

Simultaneous quantification of an anti-inflammatory compound (DuP 697) and a potential metabolite (X6882) in human plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method using fluorescence detection has been developed for the simultaneous analysis of low nanogram concentrations of an anti-inflammatory drug, 5-Bromo-2-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-[4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl]thiophene (DuP 697), and a potential metabolite (X6882) in human plasma and of DuP 697 in human urine. This assay method used an EM Separations Lichrospher C18 endcapped column. The mobile phase was acetonitrile-water (75:25, v/v). The detection of DuP 697 and X6882 was by fluorescence at excitation and emission wavelengths of 256 and 419 nm, respectively. The chromatographic system could separate DuP 697 from X6882, the external standard (anthracene), and other endogenous substances present in human plasma. In human plasma the limits of quantification for DuP 697 and X6882 were 3 and 20 ng/ml, respectively; the limit of quantification for DuP 697 in human urine was 5 ng/ml. These compounds were shown to be stable in frozen (-20 degrees C) human plasma and urine for at least 9 weeks. The assay described has been used to characterize DuP 697 pharmacokinetics after oral administration in humans.     

Circulating soluble CR1 (CD35). Serum levels in diseases and evidence for its release by human leukocytes

C receptor type 1 (CR1, CD35) is present in a soluble form in plasma (sCR1). Soluble CR1 was measured with a specific ELISA assay in normal individuals and in patients with different diseases. The mean serum concentration of sCR1 in 31 normal donors was 31.4 +/- 7.8 ng/ml, and was identical in plasma. An increase in sCR1 was observed in 36 patients with end-stage renal failure on dialysis (54.8 +/- 11.7 ng/ml, p < 0.0001), and in 22 patients with liver cirrhosis (158.3 +/- 49.9 ng/ml, p < 0.0001). The mean sCR1 levels dropped from 181 +/- 62.7 to 52.1 +/- 24.0 ng/ml (p < 0.001) in nine patients who underwent liver transplantation, and was 33.5 +/- 7.3 in 10 patients with functioning renal grafts, indicating that the increase in sCR1 was reversible. Soluble CR1 was elevated in some hematologic malignancies (> 47 ng/ml), which included B cell lymphoma (12/19 patients), Hodgkin's lymphoma (4/4), and chronic myeloproliferative syndromes (4/5). By contrast, no increase was observed in acute myeloid or lymphoblastic leukemia (10) or myeloma (5). In two patients with chronic myeloproliferative syndromes, sCR1 decreased rapidly after chemotherapy. The mean concentration of sCR1 was not significantly modified in 181 HIV-infected patients at various stages of the disease (34.8 +/- 14.4 ng/ml), and in 13 patients with active SLE (38.3 +/- 19.6 ng/ml), although in both groups the number of CR1 was diminished on E. There was a weak but significant correlation between sCR1 and CR1 per E in HIV infection and SLE (r = 0.39, p < 0.0001, and r = 0.60, p < 0.03 respectively). In vitro, monocytes, lymphocytes, and neutrophils were found to release sCR1 into culture supernatants. In vivo, sCR1 was detected in the serum of SCID mice populated with human peripheral blood leukocytes. The sCR1 levels correlated with those of human IgG (r = 0.97, p < 0.0001), suggesting synthesis of sCR1 by the transferred lymphocytes. The mechanisms underlining the increased levels of sCR1 and its biologic consequences remain to be defined.     

Quantitative analysis of methadone in biological fluids using deuterium-labeled methadone and GLC-chemical-ionization mass spectrometry

The (+)-,(-)-, and (+/-)-2H5-methadones, which contained five deuterium atoms in one aromatic ring, were synthesized for use in clinical pharmacological studies and as internal standards. GLC-chemical-ionization mass spectrometry was used to determine plasma and urinary methadone levels by an inverse isotope dilution assay. Plasma drug levels could be determined to 10 pmoles/ml, and urine levels could be measured to 5 pmoles/ml. Plasma methadone levels were examined in several patients undergoing methadone maintenance therapy. These levels generally ranged between 100 and 400 ng/ml (320-1300 pmoles/ml) after an average oral dose of 1 mg/kg/day. The methadone half-life was 28.8 +/- 4.8 hr.     

Observations on the prevalence of trypanosomosis in small ruminants, equines and cattle, in relation to tsetse challenge, in The Gambia

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) hydrolyses triglycerides in chylomicrons and in very low density lipoproteins. In this study, a new sensitive enzyme immunoassay, the dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluorescence immunoassay (DELFIA), for the quantification of immunoreactive LPL mass in biological specimens was developed. In the indirect sandwich DELFIA assay polyclonal anti-human or anti-bovine LPL IgGs were used as capture antibodies, monoclonal antibody (mAb) 5D2 and Eu(3+)-labelled goat anti-mouse IgG were used as detection antibodies. In the direct sandwich DELFIA assay, mAb 5D2 was used as capture and Eu(3+)-labelled mAb 5D2 as detection antibodies. Both purified bovine and human LPL proteins served as standards in the indirect and the direct DELFIA assay. Standard curves were linear between 0.1 and 1000 ng LPL/ml, assuring the sensitivity of the DELFIAs within this range. Mean values for immunoreactive LPL mass in normal individuals were found to be 40.3 +/- 14.4 ng/ml preheparin plasma and 334.1 +/- 71 ng/ml postheparin plasma. In patients affected with type I hyperlipoproteinemia 82.4 +/- 29.3 ng/ml (postheparin plasma) were determined. Coefficients of inter- and intra-assay variation were 4.3% and 6.2% on average. The correlation coefficient between the indirect and the direct DELFIA technique was 0.9694. The correlation coefficient between immunoreactive LPL mass (estimated by DELFIA) and LPL activity (estimated by the LPL activity assay) was 0.9345. Our data are consistent with the concept that LPL is active as a dimer. Dissociation of the LPL dimer into monomers is tightly coupled to both loss of immunoreactivity and enzyme activity of LPL.     

Effects of optimism, pessimism, and trait anxiety on ambulatory blood pressure and mood during everyday life

An assay for the neutral glycosphingolipid, globotriaosylceramide (Galalpha1-4Galbeta1-4Glcbeta1-1Cer; GL-3), was developed based on the B subunit of Escherichia coli verotoxin (VTB). The VTB gene was isolated, overexpressed in E. coli, and purified by a single immunoaffinity chromatographic step using a monoclonal anti-VTB IgG-agarose column. Purified recombinant VTB was used to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the GL-3 concentrations in plasma and tissue extracts from normal individuals and patients and mice with alpha-galactosidase A deficiency (human Fabry disease). The mean (+/-1 SD) plasma GL-3 concentrations in affected male and female heterozygotes with Fabry disease were 12.6 +/- 3.7 and 1.1 +/- 0.7 microg/ml, respectively, whereas normal individuals had 0.9 +/- 0.4 microg/ml. In 5- to 6-month-old mice with alpha-galactosidase A deficiency, the average GL-3 concentrations in spleen, kidney, liver, heart, and plasma were 2790 +/- 400, 1100 +/- 93, 378 +/- 67, and 196 +/- 28 ng/mg wet wt and 5. 1 +/- 2.0 microg/ml, respectively, whereas tissues from wild-type mice contained very low or undetectable GL-3 levels. This ELISA assay should prove useful for determining the GL-3 levels, as well as for monitoring the effectiveness of therapeutic endeavors in patients with Fabry disease.     

Plasma soluble endothelial selectin is elevated in women with pre-eclampsia

The study was conducted to determine whether altered plasma concentrations of soluble selectins are involved in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia. Maternal plasma samples were collected from 20 patients with pre-eclampsia, and from 20 matched normotensive patients with uncomplicated pregnancies. Samples were assayed for soluble endothelial selectin (sES), platelet selectin (sPS) and leukocyte selectin (sLS) by specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The three soluble selectins were detectable in the plasma of all pre-eclamptic and control patients. The mean plasma concentrations of sPS and sLS were comparable between the groups. However, the mean plasma concentration of sES was significantly higher in the pre-eclamptic group compared with the control group (61 ng/ml +/- 30 ng/ml compared with 40 ng/ml +/- 17 ng/ml; P < 0.01). The selective increased plasma concentrations of sES in patients with pre-eclampsia provide specific evidence for endothelial activation and may reflect distinct pathways for neutrophil activation in pre-eclampsia.     

Delivery of salbutamol to nonventilated preterm infants by metered-dose inhaler, jet nebulizer, and ultrasonic nebulizer

An isocratic reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method with ultraviolet detection at 230 nm has been developed for the determination of paclitaxel in human plasma. Plasma samples were prepared by a selective one-step liquid-liquid extraction involving a mixture of acetonitrile-n-butyl chloride (1:4, v/v). Paclitaxel and the internal standard docetaxel were separated using a column packed with ODS-80A material, and a mobile phase consisting of water-methanol-tetrahydrofuran-ammonium hydroxide (37.5:60:2.5:0.1, v/v). The calibration graph for paclitaxel was linear in the range 10-500 ng/ml, with a lower limit of quantitation of 10 ng/ml, using 1 ml plasma samples. The extraction recoveries of spiked paclitaxel and docetaxel to drug-free human plasma were 89.6+/-8.52 and 93.7+/-5.0%, respectively. Validation data showed that the assay for paclitaxel is sensitive, selective, accurate and reproducible. The assay has been used in a single pharmacokinetic experiment in a patient to investigate the applicability of the method in vivo.     

Determinants of plasma anti-oxidant vitamin levels in a population at high risk for stomach cancer

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the determination of a new antiulcer agent, YJA-20379-2, in human plasma and urine. The sample preparation was simple: 2.5-volume of acetonitrile was added to the biological sample to deproteinize. A 50-microliter aliquot of the supernatant was injected onto a C18 reversed-phase column. The mobile phase employed was methanol-0.1M S?rensen phosphate buffer of pH 7.0-H2O (75:2:25, v/v/v), and was run at a flow-rate of 1.0 ml/min. The column effluent was monitored by ultraviolet detector at 295 nm. The retention time for YJA-20379-2 was approximately 7.0 min. The detection limits for YJA-20379-2 in human plasma and urine were both 100 ng/ml. The coefficients of variation of the assay (within-day and between-day) were generally low (below 9.16%) for both the human plasma and urine. No interference from endogenous substances was found.     

Development and use of specific polymerase reaction for the detection of an organism resembling Ehrlichia sp. in white-tailed deer

OBJECTIVE: To establish the pharmacodynamic and safety equivalence between 2 sustained-release forms of leuprorelin 11.25 mg and 3.75 mg, in the treatment of metastatic prostatic carcinoma. METHODS: 44 patients received subcutaneous injections of leuprorelin for 9 months (randomization: 2/l): either 11.25 mg every three months (n = 29) or 3.75 mg monthly (n = 15). Main criterion: centralized monthly assay of plasma testosterone (T). RESULTS: The equivalence of the 2 forms in terms of mean plasma testosterone was demonstrated (p = 0.002): 1 month: T = 0.19 +/- 0.03 ng/ml; 3 months: T = 0.27 +/- 0.04 ng/ml. Exploratory analysis did not reveal any significant difference between the groups for the number of patients castrated at each visit or for the number of patients with all T values < or = 0.5 ng/ml, or for clinical responses or safety. CONCLUSION: The 2 forms have a comparable efficacy and safety.     

Neuroendocrine responses of flight cadets during midterm tests and of fighter pilots during tail chase sorties

Following detailed study, a rapid and sensitive assay for ethmozine in human plasma has been developed using reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Plasma samples were prepared for analysis by addition of internal standard (5-chloro-2-amino-benzophenone) followed by protein precipitation using acetonitrile. Analytical column was a C18 Spherisorb. The mobile phase consisted of mathanol-water-triethylamine (70:30:0.4, v/v/v, pH 6.5). The column effluent was monitored at 268 nm. The calibration curve was linear in the range from 20 ng/ml to 4000 ng/ml with r = 0.9994. The detection limit of this method was 3 ng/ml. The method showed good precision and the analytical recovery of ethmozine from plasma was 90-105%. The relative standard deviations for within-day and between-day were 2.4-6.3% and 4.5-10.2% respectively. The plasma drug concentration-time course in man after oral administration of 400 mg after conformed to a 1-compartment open model with a first order absorption phase. Mean T1/2 value was 1.75 +/- 0.45 h.     

Determination of ivabradine and its N-demethylated metabolite in human plasma and urine, and in rat and dog plasma by a validated high-performance liquid chromatographic method with fluorescence detection

A sensitive and selective high-performance liquid chromatographic method with native detection of fluorescence was developed and validated for the quantitation of ivabradine and its N-demethylated metabolite in plasma (rat, dog, human) and human urine. The procedure involves the use of an analogue as internal standard, solid-phase extraction on cyano cartridges, separation on a Nova-Pak C8 column and fluorescence detection. Calibration curves are linear in the concentration ranges from 0.5 to 100 ng/ml in plasma and 2.0 to 500 ng/ml in urine with a limit of quantitation set at 0.5 and 2.0 ng/ml in plasma and urine, respectively. The analysis of plasma and urine samples (spiked with the analytes at low, medium and high concentrations of the calibration range) demonstrates that both analytes can be measured with precision and accuracy within acceptable limits. Quality controls spiked with analyte concentrations up to 10000 ng/ml can also be analysed with excellent precision and accuracy after dilution of the samples. The parent drug and its metabolite are stable in plasma and urine after short-term storage (24 h at room temperature and after three freeze-thaw cycles) as well as after long-term storage at -20 degrees C (at least 6 months in animal plasma and 12 months in human plasma and urine). The method has been used to quantify both compounds in plasma and urine samples from clinical and non-clinical studies with ivabradine.     

Radioimmunossay of secretin in human plasma

A radioimmunoassay is presented which employs 125I-labelled synthetic secretin, antibody against synthetic secretin, and standards prepared from pure natural porcine secretin. Secretin to be measured was extracted into methanol from heparinized plasma containing aprotinin, which together with cysteine hydrochloride was used as stabilizer throughout the assay. With polyethylene glycol separation, a within assay precision of 10% at 17 pmol/1 was found. The between assay precision was 15% at 17 pmol/1 and thelimit of detection 2.5 pmol/1 plasma. Accuracy was 70-85%. The immunoreactive secretin levels in human plasma increased from 4.5+/-0.5 pmol/1 (mean+/-S.E.M.) to 19.5+/-7.5 pmol/1 (mean+/-S.E.M.) after duodenal acidification (n=5). Pancreatic flow rate increased from 0.5+/-0.1 ml/min (mean+/-S.E.M.) to 4.8+/-0.5 ml/min (mean+/-S.E.M.), and bicarbonate output from 9.6+/-1.8 mumol/min (mean+/-S.E.M.) to 268+/-51 mumol/min (mean+/-S.E.M.) after duodenal acidification.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic assay for a new fasciolicide agent, alphaBIOF10, in biological fluids

This paper describes a high-performance liquid chromatographic method with ultraviolet absorbance detection at 304 nm for the determination of 6-chloro-5-(1-naphthyloxy)-2-methylthio benzimidazole (alphaBIOF10) -- a new fasciolicide agent -- and its sulphoxide (SOalphaBIOF10), in plasma and urine. It requires 2 ml of biological fluid, an extraction using Sep-Pak cartridges, and methanol for drug elution. Analysis is performed on a microBondapak C18 (10 microm) column, using methanol-acetonitrile-water (40:30:30, v/v) as the mobile phase. Results showed that the assay is sensitive: 7.2 ng/ml for alphaBIOF10 and SOalphaBIOF10 in plasma and 3.6 ng/ml for both compounds in urine. The response was linear between 0.195 and 12.5 microg/ml. Maximum intra-day coefficient of variation was 5.3%. Recovery obtained was 97.8% for both alphaBIOF10 and SOalphaBIOF10. In urine, recovery was 99.6% and 93.1% for alphaBIOF10 and SOalphaBIOF10 respectively. The method was used to perform a preliminary pharmacokinetic study in two sheep and was found to be satisfactory.     

Inheritance of low immunoreactive human plasma dopamine-beta-hydroxylase. Radioimmunoassay studies

Inheritance plays an important role in the determination of human plasma dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) enzymatic activity. It has been demonstrated that an allele (d) for very low enzymatic plasma DBH is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. A radioimmunoassay for human DBH was developed to test the hypothesis that the presence of this allele results in a decrease in plasma DBH protein levels. The mean immunoreactive DBH (IDBH) in blood from a randomly selected population of adolescents was 824+/-38 ng/ml (mean+/-SEM, n = 134). The correlation coefficient of enzymatic DBH with IDBH for this group of 134 adolescents was 0.84 (P < 0.001). Of these subjects, 3.7% had values of < 100 ng/ml and appeared to compose a separate subgroup analogous to the 3-4% of the population that is homozygous for the allele for low enzymatic activity. There was a significant sibling-sibling correlation of IDBH values in the 14 sibling pairs included among the 134 subjects studied (r = 0.60, P < 0.025). IDBH was also measured in blood from 56 subjects homozygous (dd) for the allele for low enzymatic DBH (enzymatic activity < 50 U/ml) and in blood of 80 first-degree relatives of homozygous probands. All but two dd subjects had IDBH levels of <100 ng/ml. Results of family studies were compatible with the autosomal recessive inheritance of an allele for IDBH levels of less than 100 ng/ml which segregates with the allele for very low enzymatic activity. Average IDBH in blood of 37 obligate heterozygotes as determined by family studies (Dd) was 599+/-53 ng/ml (mean +/- SEM), significantly lower than the IDBH values found in a randomly selected population (P < 0.005). These results are compatible with the conclusion that the presence of the allele for low plasma enzymatic DBH results in a decrease in the quantity of DBH protein in human plasma.     

Plasmodium yoelii YM MAEBL protein is coexpressed and colocalizes with rhoptry proteins

Several human diseases, in particular metabolic disorders, often lead to the accumulation of characteristic metabolites in plasma, urine and cells. The selected diseases of this type include cystinuria and homocystinuria. In the typical laboratory diagnosis of these two diseases, a positive nitroprusside test is followed by quantitative analysis of urine cysteine and homocysteine in order to differentiate between cystinuria and homocystinuria. A sensitive and reproducible assay for total urine cysteine and homocysteine has been developed. The essential steps in the assay include conversion of disulphides to free thiols with tributylphosphine, conjugation of the thiols with 2-chloro-1-methyl pyridinium iodide, separation of S-pyridinium derivatives of cysteine and homocysteine from other endogenous urine thiol derivatives by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, and detection and quantitation by spectrophotometry. The method has a sensitivity of 4 pmol and is reproducible, intra- and inter-day coefficients of variation are from 1.37 to 4.14% and from 2.38 to 5.01%, respectively. The mean concentration of total urine cysteine and homocysteine in healthy donors (7 men and 7 women) were for women. 92.0 +/- 45.8 and 16.4 +/- 4.8 respectively, and for men 120.9 +/- 46.6 and 21.5 +/- 7.4 nmol/ml, respectively. Total urine homocysteine represents approximately 17.7% of cysteine in the urine of normal individuals.     

Relationships between plasma levels of type-II phospholipase A2, PAF-acetylhydrolase, leukotriene B4, complements, endothelin-1, and thrombomodulin in patients with sepsis

We determined the plasma levels of type-II phospholipase A2 (type II PLA2), platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAFAH) leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and of several complements (C3a, C4a, and C5a), which are considered to be among the cytokines and eicosanoids involved in vascular endothelial disorders and that vary in concentration during sepsis. We investigated the relationship between those levels and those of ET-1 and TM levels in plasma. Plasma levels of type II PLA2, PAFAH, LTB4, C3a, C4a, ET-1, and TM at the time that sepsis was diagnosed in 30 patients were 218.3 +/- 179.9 ng/ml, 23.92 +/- 9.66 nmol/min/ml, 90.35 +/- 31.49 pg/ml, 838.73 +/- 2.30 pg/ml, 1951.46 +/- 1697.78 pg/ml, 6.98 +/- 4.08 pg/ml and 7.80 +/- 3.34 ng/ml, respectively. The C5a plasma level was below the limit of detection in all cases. There were significant correlations between type II PLA2 and ET-1 plasma levels (r = 0.39, p = 0.032) and C3a and ET-1 plasma levels (r = 0.60, p = 0.03). There were also significant correlations between type II PLA2 and TM levels in plasma (r = 0.76, p = 0.0017), PAFAH and TM plasma levels (r = 0.53, p = 0.037), LTB4 and TM plasma levels (r = 0.46, p = 0.016) and C4a and TM plasma levels (r = 0.58, p = 0.037). Results suggest that the elevation of type II PLA2, PAFAH, LTB4 and complement in plasma is involved in vascular endothelial disorders in patients with sepsis.