Abstract
Sepsis can be viewed as toxigenic illness resulting from the release of excess quantities of microbial-derived inflammatory mediators into the systemic circulation. Principal among these microbial mediators is bacterial endotoxin. Endotoxin is an essential component of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria. Humans are exquisitely susceptible to endotoxin-induced systemic inflammatory reactions that may prove to be rapidly fatal. Many gram-positive bacteria express specific exotoxins that have the capacity to function as superantigens. These superantigens mediate deleterious systemic immune responses that may result in a toxic shock-like syndrome. These microbial toxins provide potential targets for vaccine development as a means of immunoprophylaxis and/or immunotherapy against septic shock. It may be possible to immunize susceptible populations at risk for sepsis and generate protective antibodies towards the common, injurious bacterial toxins. The feasibility of immune protection against microbial mediators of sepsis is the focus of this brief review.
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Opal, S.M., Cross, A.S., Bhattacharjee, A.K. et al. Immunoprophylaxis Against Bacterial Sepsis. Sepsis 3, 225–234 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009804003941
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009804003941