Heat Shock Protein 72 Expressing Stress in Sepsis : Unbridgeable Gap between Animal and Human Studies—A Hypothetical “Comparative” Study

Abstract EN

Heat shock protein 72 (Hsp72) exhibits a protective role during times of increased risk of pathogenic challenge and/or tissue damage.

The aim of the study was to ascertain Hsp72 protective effect differences between animal and human studies in sepsis using a hypothetical “comparative study” model.

Forty-one in vivo (56.1%), in vitro (17.1%), or combined (26.8%) animal and 14 in vivo (2) or in vitro (12) human Hsp72 studies (P<0.0001) were enrolled in the analysis.

Of the 14 human studies, 50% showed a protective Hsp72 effect compared to 95.8% protection shown in septic animal studies (P<0.0001).

Only human studies reported Hsp72-associated mortality (21.4%) or infection (7.1%) or reported results (14.3%) to be nonprotective (P<0.001).

In animal models, any Hsp72 induction method tried increased intracellular Hsp72 (100%), compared to 57.1% of human studies (P<0.02), reduced proinflammatory cytokines (28/29), and enhanced survival (18/18).

Animal studies show a clear Hsp72 protective effect in sepsis.

Human studies are inconclusive, showing either protection or a possible relation to mortality and infections.

This might be due to the fact that using evermore purified target cell populations in animal models, a lot of clinical information regarding the net response that occurs in sepsis is missing.