Human severe sepsis cytokine mixture increases β2-integrin-dependent polymorphonuclear leukocyte adhesion to cerebral microvascular endothelial cells in vitro

IntroductionSepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a state of acute brain dysfunction in response to a systemic infection. We propose that systemic inflammation during sepsis causes increased adhesion of leukocytes to the brain microvasculature, resulting in blood-brain barrier dysfunction. Thus, our objectives were to measure inflammatory analytes in plasma of severe sepsis patients to create an experimental cytokine mixture (CM), and to …