Pathophysiology of sepsis and possible influence of statins

Severe sepsis and septic shock are common complications in the intensive care unit and associated with high mortality. Early antimicrobial therapies together with organ-supportive measures are the major therapeutic approaches. However in the last decades immunmodulatory therapies have been investigated due to the notion of a compromised inflammatory response in septic patients. In addition to lowering circulating cholesterol, statins (HMG-CoA-reductase- inhibitors) have also been shown to possess pleiotropic anti-inflammatory potential. Recent studies indicate that these anti-inflammatory effects also modulate acute inflammatory response and therefore may play a protective role in septic patients. In this review, the pathophysiological backround and first clinical trials of statins as a new adjuvant therapy in sepsis are summarized. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart.