Downregulation of JKAP is correlated with elevated disease risk, advanced disease severity, higher inflammation, and poor survival in sepsis

Objective This study aimed to explore the association of JKAP with sepsis risk and investigate its correlation with disease severity, inflammatory cytokines, and survival in sepsis patients. Methods A hundred and one sepsis patients along with 100 healthy controls were enrolled, and their blood serum samples were collected for JKAP and inflammatory cytokines measurement by enzyme-linked immunoassay. The difference in serum JKAP between sepsis patients and healthy controls was determined. Among sepsis patients, the correlation of JKAP with disease severity, laboratory indexes, inflammatory cytokines, 28-day mortality, and accumulating survival was analyzed. Results JNK pathway-associated phosphatase level was decreased in sepsis patients compared with healthy controls and presented with good value in predicting decreased sepsis risk (AUC = 0.896 [95% CI: 0.851-0.941]). And its low expression was associated with advanced disease severity (APACHE II score and SOFA score) and systemic inflammation (CRP, PCT, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6, and IL-17) in sepsis patients. Additionally, JKAP level was decreased in deaths compared with survivors and had good value in distinguishing deaths from survivors (AUC = 0.742 [95% CI: 0.636-0.849]). Further, Kaplan-Meier curve analysis disclosed that JKAP high expression predicted more prolonged accumulating survival in sepsis patients. Conclusion JNK pathway-associated phosphatase is of good value in predicting lower sepsis risk, and its downregulation correlates with advanced disease severity, higher level of systemic inflammation, and poor survival in sepsis patients.