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 Creactive
protein (CRP) levels were additionally measured or recorded