Inflammatory response in sepsis and hemorrhagic stroke

Abstract

Exaggerated/deregulated inflammatory response is a major medical problem that is often associated with bad outcomes or even the death of the patient. Sepsis and severe hemorrhagic stroke are two illustrative examples because sepsis represents inflammation that is systemic initially, while stroke is initially a local pathology that in severe cases turns into systemic inflammation. There are clear differences between the two pathological conditions in terms of mechanisms and dynamics of inflammatory response at an early stage, while later the inflammatory response becomes uniform. This article aims to describe side-by-side sepsis and hemorrhagic stroke so that similar features and differences can stand out. We will describe the pathophysiological and clinical aspects of sepsis and hemorrhagic stroke, experimental models, the role of inflammation, and molecular mechanisms of inflammation in both conditions. Comparison of inflammatory response in these two model situations may lead to a better understanding of life-threatening conditions pathophysiology, in which the exaggeration/deregulation of the inflammatory response may occur with potentially severe consequences. This article is kept detailed to provide the reader with in-depth information, which should allow him to find the mechanisms of inflammatory response and to elaborate them by himself in the context of his particular needs.