Blister fluid and serum cytokine levels in severe sepsis in humans reflect skin dysfunction

Background Knowledge of sepsis‐related end‐organ inflammation in vivo is limited. We investigated the cytokine response in skin and in serum in sepsis and its relation to multiorgan failure (MOF) and survival. Methods Cytokines were analysed in serum and in suction blister fluid of intact skin of 44 patients with severe sepsis and 15 healthy controls. Blister fluid and serum samples were collected within 48 h of the first sepsis‐induced organ failure. This is a substudy of a larger follow‐up study on wound healing in sepsis. Results Cytokine levels were higher in patients with sepsis vs. controls (interleukin [IL]‐10, blisters: 65.9 vs. 4.3 pg/ml, P