Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37814277›Full record

ArticleCritical care (London, England)2023

Low levels of small HDL particles predict but do not influence risk of sepsis.

Fergus Hamilton, Kasper Mønsted Pedersen, Peter Ghazal, Børge Grønne Nordestgaard, George Davey Smith

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Critical care (London, England), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
16citing papers in PubMed
4.8field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

16 citing papers in PubMed, 24 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Observational
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  8. Mendelian Randomization and Infection: Pitfalls and Promises.The Journal of infectious diseases · 2025
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Fergus HamiltonMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Oakfield House, Oakfield Road, Bristol, BS8 2PS, UK. Fergus.hamilton@bristol.ac.uk.
Kasper Mønsted PedersenDepartment of Clinical Biochemistry, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark.
Peter GhazalProject Sepsis, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Børge Grønne NordestgaardDepartment of Clinical Biochemistry, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark.
George Davey SmithMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Oakfield House, Oakfield Road, Bristol, BS8 2PS, UK.
University of Bristol · GBCardiff University · GBGentofte Hospital · DKUniversity of Copenhagen · DK

Funding

Medical Research Council MC_UU_00011/1Medical Research Council MC_UU_00032/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLow levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol have been associated with higher rates and severity of infection. Alterations in inflammatory mediators and infection are associated with alterations in HDL cholesterol. It is unknown whether the association between HDL and infection is present for all particle sizes, and whether the observed associations are confounded by IL-6 signalling.

methodsIn the UK Biobank, ~ 270,000 individuals have data on HDL subclasses derived from nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. We estimated the association of particle count of total HDL and HDL subclasses (small, medium, large, and extra-large HDL) with sepsis, sepsis-related death, and critical care admission in a Cox regression model. We subsequently utilised genetic data from UK Biobank and FinnGen to perform Mendelian randomisation (MR) of each HDL subclass and sepsis to test for a causal relationship. Finally, we explored the role of IL-6 signalling as a potential causal driver of changes in HDL subclasses.

resultsIn observational analyses, higher particle count of small HDL was associated with protection from sepsis (Hazard ratio, HR 0.80; 95% CI 0.74-0.86, p = 4 × 10

conclusionsLow number of small HDL particles are associated with increased hazard of sepsis, sepsis-related death, and sepsis-related critical care admission. However, genetic analyses did not strongly support this as causal. Instead, we demonstrate that increased IL-6 signalling, which is known to alter infection risk, could confound associations with reduced HDL particle count, and suggest this may explain part of the observed association between (small) HDL particle count and sepsis.

Indexed as

Interleukin-6SepsisCholesterol, HDLHumansMagnetic Resonance SpectroscopyProportional Hazards ModelsCholesterol, HDLInterleukin-6

Identifiers

PMID37814277
PMCPMC10563213
OpenAlexW4387460658

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.