title: Is the developmentally immature immune response in paediatric sepsis a recapitulation of immune tolerance?
abstract: Immunologically immature neonates suffer the highest incidence of paediatric sepsis. Postnatal immunological maturation is characterized by a relatively hypo-inflammatory immune response. The mechanisms that differentiate the mature and immature immune responses resemble those that differentiate the hyper- and hypo-inflammatory responses in severe sepsis. Immunological maturational differences likely affect the neonate's ability to mount an appropriate hyper-inflammatory response, a counteractive hypo-inflammatory response, and subsequent return to immune system homeostasis. To better understand the role of the hypo-inflammatory response in paediatric sepsis, we will explore the maturation of the immune system and the effect it may have on the sepsis-induced hypo-inflammatory response.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Critical Care, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Aline B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Maddux
authors.forename: Ivor S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Douglas
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D018805:Sepsis / Q000276:immunology*
keywords: endotoxin tolerance; immune maturation; immune tolerance; neonatal sepsis; paediatric sepsis