Sepsis is the systemic immune response to severe bacterial infection. The innate immune
recognition of bacterial and viral products is mediated by a family of transmembrane
receptors known as Toll-like receptors (TLRs). In endothelial cells, exposure to
lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a major cell wall constituent of Gram-negative bacteria, results in
endothelial activation through a receptor complex consisting of TLR4, CD14 and MD2.
Recruitment of the adaptor protein myeloid differentiation factor (MyD88) initiates an MyD88 …