Cytokine Response in Sepsis: Diagnostic, Prognostic, and Therapeutic Implications

Abstract

The Sepsis-3 definition characterizes sepsis as an organ dysfunction that is life-threatening and induced by a maladaptive host response to infection. Analyses conducted by the World Health Organization on the global disease burden suggest that sepsis contributes to nearly one-fifth of worldwide deaths, highlighting its sustained prominence as a major concern in contemporary healthcare. The pathogenesis of sepsis involves complex molecular pathways that remain to be elucidated, particularly regarding immunological mechanisms. Extensive clinical research in the literature has examined the correlation between plasma cytokine profiles and sepsis prognosis, mortality, and morbidity. In current therapeutic approaches, cytokine absorption systems are widely employed to control hypercytokinemia. This comprehensive review critically evaluates existing research on cytokine-mediated pathways in sepsis pathogenesis, with particular emphasis on the molecular mechanisms and the therapeutic potential of cytokine modulation strategies based on contemporary evidence.

Keywords

• Sepsis
• Septic shock
• Cytokine
• immune response

References

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