Clinical Trial: Brain Death: Inflammatory Response, Apoptosis, and Endotoxin Tolerance

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Observational

Official Title: Observational Study on the Systemic Inflammatory Response During Brain Death.

Brief Summary: We hypothesized that brain death is associated with an early systemic inflammatory response, possibly combined with activation of apoptotic cell death, two events that may contribute to induce rapid organ dysfunction. In this study of brain-dead donors and controls, we assayed plasma cytokines and soluble factors, investigated plasma endotoxin levels as a triggering factor for inflammation, measured ex vivo cytokine production by blood leukocytes to determine whether immunosuppression occurred after brain death, and examined skeletal muscle biopsies to look for evidence of inflammation and increased apoptosis in peripheral tissue.

Detailed Summary:
Sponsor: Delafontaine Hospital

Current Primary Outcome:

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Information By: Delafontaine Hospital

Dates:
Date Received: February 4, 2008
Date Started: January 2000
Date Completion:
Last Updated: February 13, 2008
Last Verified: February 2008