Table 1 Study inclusion and exclusion criteria according to groups
Criteria | Sepsis | SIRS | Pneumonia | Localized infection | Healthy controls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Inclusion | Sepsis or septic shock according to SEPSIS-3 criteria [15] | Systemic inflammatory response after major surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass (modified SEPSIS-2 criteria) | ICU or IMC patients with community-acquired pneumonia without recent hospitalization or association with other healthcare facilities such as nursing homes, dialysis centers, and outpatient clinics Clinical symptoms like fever, cough or dyspnea and a CURB-65 score ≥ 1 were required for diagnosis | ICU/IMC patients with large peripheral tissue infections (e.g., abscess formation after i.v. drug abuse) | Charlson Comorbidity Index = 0 [41] |
Exclusion | No consent given by patients or next-of-kin | ||||
Age < 18 | |||||
Pregnancy | |||||
Preexisting chronic infectious disorders (e.g., endocarditis, HIV or hepatitis) | |||||
Current tumor or malignant disorders | |||||
Limited patient’s life expectancy < 6 months (independent of, e.g., sepsis/SIRS, pneumonia or localized infection) | |||||
Immunosuppressiona | |||||