Minasyan H. Sepsis: mechanisms of bacterial injury to the patient.
Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 2019;
27:19. [PMID:
30764843 PMCID:
PMC6376788 DOI:
10.1186/s13049-019-0596-4]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In bacteremia the majority of bacterial species are killed by oxidation on the surface of erythrocytes and digested by local phagocytes in the liver and the spleen. Sepsis-causing bacteria overcome this mechanism of human innate immunity by versatile respiration, production of antioxidant enzymes, hemolysins, exo- and endotoxins, exopolymers and other factors that suppress host defense and provide bacterial survival. Entering the bloodstream in different forms (planktonic, encapsulated, L-form, biofilm fragments), they cause different types of sepsis (fulminant, acute, subacute, chronic, etc.). Sepsis treatment includes antibacterial therapy, support of host vital functions and restore of homeostasis. A bacterium killing is only one of numerous aspects of antibacterial therapy. The latter should inhibit the production of bacterial antioxidant enzymes and hemolysins, neutralize bacterial toxins, modulate bacterial respiration, increase host tolerance to bacterial products, facilitate host bactericidal mechanism and disperse bacterial capsule and biofilm.
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