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Critical Care
Published in: Critical Care 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Viewpoint

Hyperglycaemia in critically ill patients: the immune system’s sweet tooth

Authors: Gustav van Niekerk, Tanja Davis, Anna-Mart Engelbrecht

Published in: Critical Care | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

There is an ongoing debate regarding the efficacy of glycaemic control in critically ill patients. Here we briefly highlight the key function of elevated glucose in critically ill patients, namely, to enable elevation of aerobic glycolysis in rapidly dividing cells. In particular, aerobic glycolysis provides metabolic intermediates necessary for expansion of biomass in immune cells and promotion of tissue repair. Furthermore, we emphasise that insulin may inhibit autophagy, a cell survival process used in the bulk degradation of cellular debris and damaged organelles. These observations provide a rational basis for tolerating elevated glucose levels in certain critically ill patients.
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Metadata
Title
Hyperglycaemia in critically ill patients: the immune system’s sweet tooth
Authors
Gustav van Niekerk
Tanja Davis
Anna-Mart Engelbrecht
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Critical Care / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1364-8535
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-017-1775-1

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