Plasma proteomic changes during therapeutic hypothermia in resuscitated patients after cardiac arrest

Abstract

Hypothermia is used for several h during cardiac and aortic surgery to protect ischemic organs. Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is used for 1.2-fold increase or <0.833-fold decrease) in the levels of 15 of those proteins (P=0.003-0.047), mainly proteins belonging to the acute-phase response or platelet degranulation. Unexpectedly, the levels of free hemoglobin (hemoglobin subunits alpha and beta) were significantly downregulated during TH (P<0.05). The level of the terminal complement complex (SC5b-9) showed significant reduction after cooling (P=0.023). Although the acute-phase response proteins were upregulated, the abundance of complement proteins did not change, and the levels of SC5b-9 and free hemoglobin decreased during TH in patients after ROSC.