Interleukin-40 as a biomarker of mortality risk in patients with severe pneumonia - Report - MDSpire

Interleukin-40 as a biomarker of mortality risk in patients with severe pneumonia

  • By

  • Hong Tan

  • Hanyi Wang

  • Xuanyi Zhou

  • Jun Duan

  • Xiaoliang Yang

  • May 28, 2026

  • 0 min

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Clinical Report: Interleukin-40 as a Potential Mortality Predictor in Severe Pneumonia Patients

Overview

This study investigates the role of interleukin-40 (IL-40) as a novel biomarker for predicting mortality in patients with severe pneumonia. Elevated IL-40 levels at ICU admission were significantly associated with increased mortality risk, suggesting its potential utility in clinical decision-making.

Background

Severe pneumonia is a critical condition with high morbidity and mortality rates, necessitating timely and accurate risk assessment for effective management. Traditional scoring systems and biomarkers often fall short in predicting outcomes, particularly in elderly patients. Identifying reliable biomarkers like IL-40 could enhance early clinical decision-making and improve patient outcomes.

Data Highlights

GroupIL-40 Levels (ng/mL)28-Day Survival
Severe PneumoniaHigherLower
Non-Severe PneumoniaLowerHigher
Healthy ControlsLowestNA

Key Findings

  • IL-40 levels at ICU admission were significantly higher in severe pneumonia patients compared to non-severe pneumonia and healthy controls.
  • Non-survivors had significantly higher IL-40 levels than survivors.
  • The AUC of IL-40 for predicting 28-day mortality was the highest among evaluated indicators.
  • IL-40 combined with SOFA score improved mortality prediction accuracy (AUC increased from 0.7626 to 0.7980).
  • Patients with IL-40 levels ≥1.244 ng/mL had poorer survival outcomes compared to those with lower levels.

Clinical Implications

IL-40 may serve as a valuable early biomarker for assessing mortality risk in patients with severe pneumonia, aiding in timely clinical interventions. Its integration with existing scoring systems could enhance risk stratification and improve patient management strategies.

Conclusion

The findings support the potential of IL-40 as a predictive biomarker for mortality in severe pneumonia, warranting further investigation in clinical practice to optimize patient outcomes.

Related Resources & Content

  1. Author(s)/Org, Source, Year -- Interleukin-40 as a Potential Mortality Predictor in Severe Pneumonia Patients
  2. Frontiers in Medicine, 2026 -- Lactate Dehydrogenase-to-Albumin Ratio Predicts 30-Day and 90-Day Mortality in Glucocorticoid-Treated ICU Patients With Pneumonia: A Secondary Analysis of a Multicenter Cohort
  3. Frontiers in Medicine, 2026 -- The predictive value of the Systemic Inflammatory Response Index in evaluating the severity of influenza A-induced viral pneumonia among elderly patients: a retrospective analysis
  4. Intensive Care Medicine -- Correlation of CD74 and IL10 mRNA Levels with the Risk of Infections Acquired in the ICU: Findings from a Multicenter Cohort Analysis
  5. The Journal of Infectious Diseases -- Elevated Levels of Interleukin 6 in Severe Pneumonia Following Allo-Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Its Potential Role in Lung Damage via the IL-6/sIL-6R/JAK1/STAT3 Signaling Pathway
  6. Diagnosis and Management of Community-acquired Pneumonia: An Official American Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline - PubMed
  7. Hydrocortisone in Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia | New England Journal of Medicine
  8. Proadrenomedullin for prediction of early and mid-term mortality in patients hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia - PubMed
  9. Diagnosis and Management of Community-acquired Pneumonia: An Official American Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline - PubMed
  10. Hydrocortisone in Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia | New England Journal of Medicine
  11. Proadrenomedullin for prediction of early and mid-term mortality in patients hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia - PubMed

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