Changes in immune function and immunomodulatory treatments of septic patients

Although the mortality rate of sepsis decreases annually, sepsis is still one of the most common causes of death in hospitals. Specific treatments have not been researched yet because of the dynamical pathophysiological process and the individual differences. Most doctors used to treat sepsis by inhibiting inflammation, but the effect of that was not desirable. And many septic patients died of the complications of the second infection in the late period. The sequelae caused by sepsis are inevitable despite most symptoms can be controlled by current advanced therapeutic methods. Some desirable results were obtained from many immunomodulatory methods in some animal experiments and clinical patients, but these therapeutic methods couldn't treat all septic patients yet. Some changes in immune function that occur in each period of sepsis and some corresponding immunomodulatory treatments of sepsis will be introduced in this review. • Some unresolved issues and current research achievements on sepsis are raised. • All changes of immune cells and immune molecules during sepsis are clearly summarized in this article. • Several immunomodulate agents aiming at treating sepsis are introduced thereby providing some promising research items.