Association of TNF2, a TNF-α Promoter Polymorphism, With Septic Shock Susceptibility and Mortality

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

THE PRIMARY cause of death in intensive care units (ICUs).With a mortality rate in excess of 50%, it results in more than 100 000 deaths a year in the United States. 1,2Sepsis-induced organ failure leading to death appears to be due to the activation of a mediator cascade initiated by microbial components. 1,2Although the pathophysiology of systemic inflammation and organ dysfunction is complex, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-␣) has emerged as a proximal and central cytokine of septic shock. 2,3Its administration reproduces essentially all the deleterious effects of endotoxin and bacteria, including