Critical illness is defined by presence of altered organ function in acutely ill patients such that homeostasis cannot be maintained without medical intervention in intensive care units, such as mechanical ventilation, vasoactive support for hemodynamics, and renal replacement therapy. It usually involves two or more organ systems. Immune dysfunction is common in critically ill patients and it may modulate immune response and affect patient morbidity and mortality, particularly in severe trauma and/or sepsis. Immune cells and mediators, in critical care setting, are understudied and do represent challenging area. Better understanding of potential beneficial and/or harmful effects of pro- and/or anti-inflammatory response will improve process of intensive care. Potential therapeutic interventions may improve clinical outcome. Pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators can be predictive biomarkers of organ dysfunction and outcome in critically ill patients also. The editors are pleased to launch this new special issue.

This special issue is intended to provide platform for discussion of immune cells’ and mediators’ role in immune response in critical illness; their role as predictive biomarkers of organ dysfunction and outcome; and potential therapeutic procedures regarding immune dysfunction in critically ill patients.

We call for papers and review articles or original research articles.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Molecular mechanism of trauma and/or sepsis-induced immunomodulation and immunosuppression in critically ill patients
• Role of immune cells (polymorphonuclear leukocytes, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, lymphocytes, platelets, endothelial cells, etc.) in critically ill patients. Association of their altered phenotype, function, and activity with clinical signs and symptoms, clinical score, and disease outcome
• Estimation of immunoinflammatory response in critically ill patients based on biomarkers of infection and sepsis (cytokines, CD64 expression, HLA-DR expression, endotoxin, parameters of oxidative metabolism, etc.)
• Specific immune dysfunction underlying failure of various organs (lung, liver, kidney, brain, etc.).
• Immune based therapy of critically ill patients