Role of cytokines in sepsis and its current situation of clinical application

Sepsis is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, which is a global health crisis. The cytokines are a class of protein mediators secreted by cells with low molecular weights and biological activity. There are two types of cytokines, pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, participating in regulation of immunity and inflammation in sepsis. Cytokines are also used as biomarkers for early warning, diagnosis, and prognostic assessment of sepsis and as therapeutic targets for prevention and treatment of sepsis. This paper briefly summarizes the research advance of some cytokines in sepsis and the related work carried out by author′s institute, and elaborates the roles of cytokines in sepsis and their clinical application value, helping to provide some ideas and reference for the future research of cytokines in sepsis. Key words: Sepsis; Cytokines; Biomarker; Therapeutic target