Innate Immune Function and Mortality in Critically III Children With Influenza: A Multicenter Study.

The article presents a study which evaluated the relationships among serum cytokine levels, innate immune responsiveness and mortality in a multicenter cohort of critically ill children with influenza infection. It found that a tumor necrosis factor-α response was highly predictive of death and longer duration of intensive care unit (ICU) stay. It concluded that high serum levels of cytokines can coexist with marked innate immune response in children with critical influenza.