Pathogenesis of Sepsis Syndrome: Possible Relevance of Pore-Forming Bacterial Toxins

This review focuses on a group of bacterial products whose very existence is known to only a minority of clinicians, and whose potential significance as inducers of the sepsis syndrome has eluded the attention of most microbiologists. This is unfortunate because pore-forming bacterial toxins possess all the properties for contributing to the pathogenesis of local and systemic inflammatory reactions. Because pore formers generally are highly immunogenic proteins, the prospects for immune intervention are described that may eventually be of benefit to patients. The subject is therefore of interest not only from a theoretical but also from a practical point of view.