Abstract
It is well accepted that an individual’s genetic background plays an influential role in determining the susceptibility to, and outcome from, a variety of chronic illnesses. This is particularly true of many malignancies in which the precise relationships between genetic abnormalities and clinical manifestations have been abundantly described. In contrast, while intensivists have long appreciated that acutely ill individuals display enormous inter-patient variability in response to uniform insults, the possibility that genetic differences may be responsible for these individualized responses has largely been ignored. In this review, we will discuss recent studies that examine the clinical manifestations of acute illness in the context of genetic variants of the inflammatory and coagulation cascades. Ultimately, this gene-based approach will be essential to furthering our understanding of critical illness, identifying new therapeutic targets, and developing novel treatment strategies.
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© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media New York
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Freeman, B.D., Zehnbauer, B.A. (2001). Genetic Susceptibility to Infection and Sepsis. In: Eichacker, P.Q., Pugin, J. (eds) Evolving Concepts in Sepsis and Septic Shock. Perspectives on Critical Care Infectious Diseases, vol 2. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1581-4_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1581-4_5
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