Abstract
Background: Sepsis is an abnormal host immune response to infection which comprises of hyper inflammation followed by (or co-existing with) immune suppression. The pathophysiology of sepsis involves a coordinated interplay between all aspects of immunity and remains to be fully elucidated.
Aims: To determine the impact of sepsis on the innate and adaptive immune response to identify specific immune targets for therapeutic intervention (e.g. mesenchymal stromal cells).
Methods: Ethical approval and informed consent was received from 20 individuals with or without clinical criteria for sepsis1, admitted to the ICU of Galway University Hospitals and peripheral blood was collected over 7 days following admission. 3 healthy control samples were obtained. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and assessed by flow cytometry.
Results: The percentage of monocytes was significantly increased and the percentage of natural killer cells significantly reduced, in sepsis patients (n=15), compared to healthy controls (n=3) (Figure 1A). A trend for increased regulatory T cells was observed (Figure 1A). A follow up of 8 sepsis patients showed that these immune cell profile changes persisted over 7 days (Figure 1B).
Conclusion: Sepsis clearly and continually affects the host immune profile and further studies will assess the function of these altered immune cell types.
Reference 1: Singer M et al. JAMA. 2016;315(8):801–810
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2020; 56: Suppl. 64, 2353.
This abstract was presented at the 2020 ERS International Congress, in session “Respiratory viruses in the "pre COVID-19" era”.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2020
