Eighty-nine critically ill patients admitted to a general ICU who met no sepsis criteria were studied.
Plasma or serum levels of the above-mentioned endothelium-derived molecules were measured during
the first 24 h post ICU; acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II and sequential organ
failure assessment (SOFA) scores, age, sex, diagnostic category, and circulating procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were additionally measured or recorded.