Sepsis demonstrates a marked dysregulation of the immune system in its ability to fight
infection. Previous models have focused on the mechanisms which upregulate and sustain
the heightened immune response without addressing the role of down-regulation effectors.
Attention has been drawn to these down-regulating mechanisms and their precise role in the
pathophysiology of sepsis. Apoptosis is an evolutionarily conserved, energy-dependent
mode of cell death requiring the initiation and regulation of complex genetic programs. It is …