Late immune consequences of combat trauma: a review of trauma-related immune dysfunction and potential therapies | Military Medical Research | Full Text

Late immune consequences of combat trauma: a review of trauma-related immune dysfunction and potential therapies | Military Medical Research | Full Text

Late immune consequences of combat trauma: a review of trauma-related immune dysfunction and potential therapies

Trauma leads to the dysregulation of both the innate and adaptive immune responses, which places the injured at risk for several late consequences, including delayed wound healing, late onset sepsis and infection, multi-organ dysfunction syndrome, and acute respiratory distress syndrome, which are significant for their association with the increased morbidity and mortality of wounded personnel. The mechanisms by which these consequences develop are complex but include an imbalance of the immune system leading to robust inflammatory responses, triggered by the presence of damage-associated molecules and other immune-modifying agents following trauma.