Trefoil Factor 3 Protein and Sepsis

Abstract

Sepsis is one of the most common causes of death in hospitalized patients. Disruption of intestinal barrier homeostasis is one of its main hallmarks. Trefoil factor family proteins are known for their role in protecting and repairing the intestinal mucosa. It has been repeatedly shown that the TFF3 protein is involved in maintaining the intestinal barrier. For that reason, it has been studied in the search for objective measures to predict the onset or outcome of sepsis. Several studies have been performed on rodent sepsis models and on sepsis patients, both children and adults. From the limited research available to date, it appears that TFF3 is involved in the pathogenesis of sepsis, but the exact mechanism is not yet clear. Its potential as a sepsis biomarker has so far been low, but more extensive studies on its role in predicting disease severity and outcome, as well as organ dysfunction, may lead to finding specific patient groups or sepsis stages for which it would be suitable.