The role of natural killer cells in the pathogenesis of sepsis: the ongoing enigma.

ABSTRACT: The study by Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes and colleagues in the previous issue of Critical Care shows several alterations in blood natural killer (NK) characteristics during human sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome, including changes in NK cell numbers, Toll-like receptor (TLR) expression, and responsiveness to TLR agonists. This paper advances our knowledge of NK cell biology during sepsis and provides the background for future investigations.