The role of interferon-g in the pathogenesis of acute intra-abdominal sepsis

Several studies indicate that IFN-g facilitates systemic inflammation during endotoxin-induced shock. However, the pathobiology of IFN-g in clinically relevant models of septic shock, such as CLP, is not well understood. In this study, the role of IFN-g in the pathogenesis of CLP-induced septic shock was evaluated by examining IFN-g production at the tissue and cellular levels. The impact of IFN-g neutralization on systemic inflammation, bacterial clearance, and survival was also determined. Following CLP, concentrations of IFN-g in plasma and peritoneal lavage fluid were low in comparison with concentrations of IL-6 and MIP-2, as was IFN-g mRNA expression in liver and spleen. The overall percentage of IFN-g+ splenocytes was