The present study investigates the levels of certain soluble factors in the blood of patients with severe burn injury. Serum levels of different soluble factors will be correlated with the clinical outcome, presence of sepsis, the area of burn, and other clinical parameters in order to make a statement regarding their use as biomarkers in the prediction and monitoring of burn patients.

Burn patients still represent a critical patient collective with a high mortality rate although treatment technologies have improved over the years. One problem healthcare professionals face is the fact that reliable biomarker which predict the clinical outcome, the onset of sepsis, and monitor the severity of disease in burn patients are still missing. These biomarkers would allow an early adoption of treatment modalities to improve the outcome and prevent life-threatening complications.

Blood samples from severely burned patients will be collected over a period of five days and different cytokines (for example the macrophage migration inhibitory factor protein family) will be measured in the serum. Clinical data of the patients (sepsis, total body surface area of burns, abbreviated burn severity index, sepsis-related organ failure assessment, etc.) will be documented and correlated to the levels of soluble factors.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years of age
• minimum of 10% total body surface area burn
• needing ICU treatment

Exclusion Criteria:

• younger than 18 years of age
• immunosuppression (e.g. HIV)
• undergone surgery 2 weeks prior to burn injury
• malignancies
• severe diseases (myocardial infarction, lung embolism)
• declining to participate in the study

Patients with burn injuries treated in the burn intensive care unit