To investigate the clinical application of interleukin-40 (IL-40) at ICU admission as a novel biomarker for predicting mortality risk in patients with severe pneumonia.
Key Findings:
IL-40 levels at ICU admission were significantly higher in severe pneumonia patients compared to non-severe pneumonia patients and healthy controls.
Non-survivors had significantly higher IL-40 levels than survivors.
The AUC of IL-40 for predicting mortality risk was the highest among the indicators evaluated.
IL-40 and SOFA scores were independent predictors of 28-day mortality.
Combining IL-40 with SOFA score increased the AUC for estimating 28-day mortality from 0.7626 to 0.7980.
Patients with IL-40 levels ≥1.244 ng/mL had poorer survival compared to those with levels <1.244 ng/mL.
Interpretation:
IL-40 at ICU admission is a valuable biomarker for predicting mortality risk in patients with severe pneumonia.
Limitations:
The study was conducted over a limited time frame from May 2023 to May 2025.
Exclusion criteria may limit generalizability to broader patient populations.
Conclusion:
IL-40 may serve as an early biomarker for clinical decision-making in treating severe pneumonia patients.
