Objective: To assess the initial serum levels of lipids and lipoproteins and their correlations
with the clinical outcome for patients with severe sepsis. The ability of high-density
lipoprotein (HDL) to attenuate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)–induced cytokine production was
also examined in vitro. Design: Prospective, observational cohort study. Setting: Medical
intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary-level university hospital. Patients: Sixty-three
consecutive patients with severe sepsis. Interventions: Blood samples were drawn within the …