Pathophysiology of endotoxin tolerance: mechanisms and clinical consequences

Endotoxin tolerance was first described in a study that exposed animals to a sublethal dose of bacterial endotoxin. The animals subsequently survived a lethal injection of endotoxin. This refractory state is associated with the innate immune system and, in particular, with monocytes and macrophages,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Critical care (London, England) England), 2013-01, Vol.17 (6), p.242-242
Main Authors: López-Collazo, Eduardo, del Fresno, Carlos
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acute Coronary Syndrome - immunology
Animals
Critical Illness
Cystic Fibrosis - immunology
Endotoxins - adverse effects
Endotoxins - immunology
Humans
Immune Tolerance - physiology
Neoplasms - immunology
Review
Sepsis - immunology
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Summary:Endotoxin tolerance was first described in a study that exposed animals to a sublethal dose of bacterial endotoxin. The animals subsequently survived a lethal injection of endotoxin. This refractory state is associated with the innate immune system and, in particular, with monocytes and macrophages, which act as the main participants. Several mechanisms are involved in the control of endotoxin tolerance; however, a full understanding of this phenomenon remains elusive. A number of recent reports indicate that clinical examples of endotoxin tolerance include not only sepsis but also diseases such as cystic fibrosis and acute coronary syndrome. In these pathologies, the risk of new infections correlates with a refractory state. This review integrates the molecular basis and clinical implications of endotoxin tolerance in various pathologies.
ISSN:1364-8535
1466-609X
DOI:10.1186/cc13110