Sepsis-induced immune dysfunction: can immune therapies reduce mortality?

Abstract

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response induced by an infection, leading to organ dysfunction and mortality. Historically, sepsis-induced organ dysfunction and lethality were attributed to the interplay between inflammatory and antiinflammatory responses. With advances in intensive care management and goal-directed interventions, early sepsis mortality has diminished, only to surge later after "recovery" from acute events, prompting a search for sepsis-induced alterations in immune function. Sepsis is well known to alter innate and adaptive immune responses for sustained periods after clinical "recovery," with immunosuppression being a prominent example of such alterations. Recent studies have centered on immune-modulatory therapy. These efforts are focused on defining and reversing the persistent immune cell dysfunction that is associated with mortality long after the acute events of sepsis have resolved.

• Authors: Matthew J Delano, Peter A Ward
• Journal: The Journal of clinical investigation (J Clin Invest) Vol. 126 Issue 1 Pg. 23-31 (Jan 2016) ISSN: 1558-8238 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 26727230 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)

Topics

• Animals
• Dendritic Cells (immunology)
• Humans
• Immunotherapy
• Lymphocytes (immunology)
• Macrophages (immunology)
• Monocytes (immunology)
• Myeloid Cells (immunology)
• Neutrophils (immunology)
• Sepsis (immunology, mortality, therapy)