title: Pathophysiological aspects of sepsis: an overview.
abstract: Sepsis is defined as severe systemic inflammation in response to invading pathogens, or an uncontrolled hyperinflammatory response, as mediated by the release of various proinflammatory mediators. Although some patients may die rapidly from septic shock accompanied by an overwhelming systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) triggered by a highly virulent pathogen, most patients survive the initial phase of sepsis, showing multiple organ damage days or weeks later. These patients often demonstrate signs of immune suppression accompanied by enhanced inflammation. Sepsis is a result of a complex process; there is interaction of various pathways, such as inflammation, immunity, coagulation, as well as the neuroendocrine system. This treatise is an attempt to provide a summary of several key regulatory mechanisms and to present the currently recognized molecular pathways that are involved in the pathogenesis of sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Burns Institute, First Hospital Affiliated to the Chinese PLA General Hospital, 51 Fu-cheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yong-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Ying-Yi
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Luan
authors.forename: Qing-Hong
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhi-Yong
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Sheng
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D024243:HMGB1 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D000067759:Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D024243:HMGB1 Protein; C585491:HMGB1 protein, human; D000067759:Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma