Table 1 Characteristics of the different study cohorts comprising healthy volunteers (HC), standard care patients with bacterial infections (SC), and intensive care unit (ICU) patients

Number of patients

27

48

87

44

43

Male/female, n

12/15

33/15

55/32

24/20

31/12

Age median (range), years

33 (22–77)

65.5 (21–90)

65 (18–97)

68 (18–97)

58 (23–92)

Days in hospital, median (range)

–

6.0 (2.0–25.0)

12.0 (1.0–97.0)

11.5 (1.0–97.0)

12.0 (2.0–89.0)

Days on ICU, median (range)

–

–

5.0 (1.0–79.0)

5.0 (1.0–79.0)

5.0 (1.0–37.0)

Death on ICU, n (%)

–

–

25 (28.7)

15 (34.1)

10 (23.3)

APACHE II score, median (range)

–

–

25 (4–46)

26 (12–41)

23 (4–46)

Absence of shock, n (%)

–

–

56 (64)

31 (70.5)

25 (58.1)

Leukocytes median (range), × 10³/μl

5.8 (3.8–8.9)

9.3 (2.1–23)

14.1 (0.5–41.9)

15.7 (0.5–42.9)

10.6 (2.7–31.4)

WBC Neutrophils median (range), %

56.4 (37.7–68.0)

78.4 (18.0–98.0)

87.7 (16.0–97.0)

90.3 (16.0–97.0)

86.0 (57.9–94.9)

WBC Monocytes median (range), %

7.2 (3.0–12.8)

7.0 (0.1–51.0)

4.7 (0.0–18.0)

4.1 (0.0–12.2)

6.4 (0.1–18.0)

WBC Lymphocytes median (range), %

32.2 (18.2–49.0)

11.6 (1.0–39.4)

4.7 (0.0–48.0)

3.8 (0.1–48.0)

6.6 (0.0–31.2)

CRP median (range), mg/l

–

86.8 (0.8–341.5)

66.6 (0.5–350.0)

135.5 (2.0–350.0)

37.4 (0.5–231.0)

PCT median (range), μg/l

–

–

1.0 (0.1–100.0)

2.18 (0.1–100.0)

0.8 (0.4–68.3)

ALT median (range), U/L

–

21.0 (5.0–84.0)

34.5 (5.0–9079.0)

26.0 (5.0–1280)

44.0 (6.0–9079.0)

AST median (range), U/L

–

32.0 (15.0–168.0)

53.5 (7.0–19,969.0)

36.0 (7.0–1178)

76.0 (14.0–19,969.0)

Gamma GT median (range) U/L

–

49.0 (8.0–636.0)

81.0 (8.0–168.0)

67.0 (4.0–781.0)

84.0 (9.0–1923)

ALP median (range), U/L

–

84.0 (35.0–286.0)

106.0 (19.0–530.0)

102.0 (39.0–350.0)

115.5 (19.0–530.0)

Bilirubin (total), mg/dl

–

0.64 (0.15–7.91)

0.78 (0.14–27.36)

0.64 (0.14–17.0)

1.0 (0.21–27.4)

Hb median (range), mmol/l

14.4 (12.7–16.0)

12.45 (7.1–17.5)

10.2 (5.6–16.1)

9.9 (7.0–16.1)

10.6 (5.6–15.5)

Creatinine median (range), mg/dl

–

0.96 (0.53–5.79)

1.5 (0.24–6.0)

1.6 (0.24–6.0)

1.9 (0.4–5.88)

GFR (range), ml/min

82.4 (8.5–139.8)

45.0 (6.0–167.4)

35.2 (6.0–130.6)

52.9 (7.3–167.4)

Urea (range), mg/dl

–

39.0 (11.0–182.0)

64.0 (10.0–233.0)

82.0 (26.0–233.0)

60.0 (10.0–213.0)

suPAR median (range), ng/ml

2.14 (0.0–3.5)

5.9 (2.1–24.1)

9.7 (0.38–38)

10.82 (0.38–38)

8.32 (1.54–38)

uPAR positive neutrophils median (range), % of neutrophils

94.7 (43.7–99.8)

87.7 (8.83–99.6)

58.3 (3.65–99.87)

51.6 (4.62–99.85)

60.9 (10.0–99.0)