Immunoprophylaxis against bacterial sepsis

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 potent..