Clinical Outcomes and Host Immune Response in Vascular Graft and Endograft Infections

Analysis of Clinical Outcomes and Host Immune Response to Vascular Graft and Endograft Infections

ACHIEVE is a prospective observational cohort and biobank study of patients with suspected or diagnosed central vascular graft or endograft infection. The study also includes patients undergoing elective central vascular graft or endograft implantation and healthy blood donor controls. Participants undergo longitudinal clinical data collection and biospecimen sampling. The study aims to characterize clinical outcomes, host immune responses, inflammatory biomarkers, pathogen-related factors, and novel microbiological diagnostic methods, including microbial cell-free DNA sequencing, in vascular graft and endograft infections.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18 years or older.
• Able and willing to provide informed consent.
• For the vascular graft or endograft infection group: suspected or diagnosed vascular graft or endograft infection in a central vascular prosthesis as determined by the treating clinicians.
• For the elective vascular graft or endograft control group: planned central vascular graft or endograft implantation.
• For the healthy blood donor control group: active blood donor registered at Aarhus University Hospital Blood Bank.
• For the healthy blood donor control group: no current infection or other active disease.

Exclusion Criteria:

• For the elective vascular graft or endograft control group: surgery performed as an emergency procedure within 24 hours.
• For the elective vascular graft or endograft control group: reoperation of a previously implanted vascular graft or endograft.
• For the elective vascular graft or endograft control group: evidence suggestive of ongoing infection in the area of surgery.
• Unable to provide informed consent.