Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and modulation of inflammatory cells in sepsis.

Although antimicrobial therapy has been the central clinical strategy for patients with sepsis and multiple organ failure, the survival rate in these patients remains low because their host defense mechanisms usually are compromised. Various inflammatory cytokines recently have been shown to play important roles in normal host defense mechanisms and in sepsis and its sequelae. Cytokine modulation therapies, which have focused on the downregulation of the inflammatory response, have not been shown to benefit these patients. This article examines the role of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor as a proinflammatory mediator and a potential adjuvant treatment in patients with severe infection.