Objective: Polyphosphate (polyP) is a linear polymer of inorganic phosphate generally found in fungi, algae, protozoa and mammalian cells. However, clinical evidence in humans is lacking.
Methods: We investigated plasma long chain polyP levels in the plasma of 10 healthy volunteers (control group), 10 myocar- dial infarction patients, 10 cerebral infarction patients, 10 deep vein thrombosis (lower extremity) patients, 52 consolidation therapy patients, and 30 infectious fever patients using a step extraction method and DAPI staining.
Results: We found no significant differences between thrombosis patients and healthy subjects. However, plasma long chain polyP levels in the infectious fever patients were higher than those in the healthy group and consolidation therapy patients. Plasma polyP levels decreased after infectious fever had been relieved. Plasmapheresis could reduce plasma long chain polyP levels and cli- nical symptoms.
Conclusions: We did not observe a relationship between long chain polyP levels and thrombosis. By contrast, we found evi- dence that long chain polyP promotes infectious fever. After patient recovery, long chain polyP levels returned to normal, and we found that plasmapheresis can reduce the burden of long chain polyP and related symptoms in patients.
Polyphosphate, procalcitonin, inflection, fever, plasmapheresis
10.19193/0393-6384_2016_2_57