Sudden infant death syndrome, infection and inflammatory responses.
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is sudden unexpected death in infancy for which there is no explanation after review of the history, a death scene investigation and a thorough autopsy. The use of common diagnostic criteria is a prerequisite for discussing the importance of infection, inflammatory responses and trigger mechanism in SIDS. Several observations of immune stimulation in the periphery and of interleukin-6 elevation in the cerebrospinal fluid of SIDS victims explain how infections can play a role in precipitating these deaths. Finally, these findings and important risk factors for SIDS are integrated in the concept of a vicious circle for understanding the death mechanism. The vicious circle is a concept to elucidate the interactions between unfavourable factors, including deficient auto-resuscitation, and how this could result in death.
Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Oslo, University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Oslo 0027, Norway. vege@labmed.uio.no
Ashild
A
Vege
Torleiv
T
Ole Rognum
D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications*; D007249:Inflammation; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology
D015850:Interleukin-6