Circulating chromogranin B levels in patients with acute respiratory failure: data from the FINNALI Study

<b>Purpose:</b> Circulating chromogranin B (CgB) levels are increased in situations characterized by systemic and myocardial stress, but whether CgB provides prognostic information in patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) is unknown. <b>Methods:</b> We included 584 patients with ARF, defined as ventilatory support &gt;6 h, and with blood samples available on Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission and day 3 (<i>n</i> = 479). CgB levels were measured by radioimmunoassay and follow-up was 90 days. <b>Results:</b> One-hundred-sixty-nine patients (29%) died during follow-up. Admission CgB levels separated non-survivors from survivors: median 1234 (Q1-3 989–1742) vs. 917 (753–1224) pmol/L, respectively, <i>p</i> p <b>Conclusions:</b> CgB levels measured on ICU admission provided additional prognostic information to established risk indices in ARF patients.