Cytokine storm and sepsis disease pathogenesis

Abstract

Infectious diseases are a leading cause of death worldwide. Sepsis is a severe clinical syndrome related to the host response to infection. The severity of infections is due to an activation cascade that will lead to an autoamplifying cytokine production: the cytokine storm. Cytokines are a broad category of relatively small proteins (<40 kDa) that are produced and released with the aim of cell signaling. Our understanding of the processes that trigger this tremendous amount of cytokine production has made dramatic progress over the last decades, but unfortunately, these findings could not translate yet into effective treatments; so far, all clinical trials targeting cytokine production or effects failed. This review aims to summarize the pathophysiology of the cytokine storm; to describe the type, effects, and kinetics of cytokine production; and to discuss the therapeutic challenges of targeting cytokines. New promising therapeutic strategies focusing on the endothelium, as a source and a target of cytokines, are described.

Attenuation of sepsis-induced rat liver injury by epigallocatechin gallate via suppression of oxidative stress-related inflammation

“…#p < 0.05, when compared with untreated sepsis group; ##p < 0.01, when compared with untreated sepsis group Systematic inflammation response is considered a hallmark of sepsis. Among the numerous proand anti-inflammatory cytokines studied during sepsis, TNF-α and IL-10 are of crucial importance [19]. In this study, it was demonstrated that EGCG treatment relieved the inflammation during sepsis.…”

Induction of the pneumococcal vncRS operon by lactoferrin is essential for pneumonia

“…Chromosomal DNA was detected in the supernatants after infection with WT bacteria 4 h post-injection, whereas negligible or no chromosomal DNA was detected in the supernatant after infection with Δpep27 , suggesting that this mutant is not capable to induce lysis and hence no chromosomal DNA could be detected in supernatant (Figure 3(g)), indicating that the Δpep27 cells were rapidly cleared. Since the proinflammatory cytokines produced within 6 h post-infection play a critical role in septic shock [18–21], the lysis-resistance of bacterial cells was corroborated by measuring the proinflammatory cytokines 6 h after i.n . infection.…”

Clinical Utility of Extracorporeal Cytokine Hemoadsorption Therapy: A Literature Review

“…They can cause the activation, proliferation, and/or motility of target cells [2]. Signaling is achieved by time-and space-compartmentalized processes and amplification cascades wherein the controlled release of certain DOI: 10.1159/000492379 cytokines, in turn, stimulates the local or remote release of others [3]. Imbalances of pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines lie at the center of systemic inflammatory responses and multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) [4,5].…”