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Updated: Jan 9, 2026
A Neonatal Imaging Model of Gram-Negative Bacterial Sepsis
Published on: August 12, 2020
Neutrophil dysregulation differentiates pediatric septic shock biomarker-based mortality-risk strata: insights from
Leland Dunwoodie1, Min Huang2, Andrew R Moore3,4
1Division of Critical Care Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
Background:
Pediatric sepsis is a leading cause of global mortality, particularly among children, with limited therapeutic options beyond antibiotics and organ support. The Pediatric Sepsis Biomarker Risk Model (PERSEVERE-II) stratifies mortality risk in pediatric septic shock, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying high mortality risk remain incompletely understood.
Methods:
We analyzed whole blood transcriptomes collected from 81 children with septic shock on day 1 of meeting study criteria. Patients were stratified into high- and low-mortality risk groups according to the PERSEVERE-II biomarker risk model. Using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and differential gene expression analyses, we identified molecular pathways and transcription factors (TFs) associated with mortality risk. Cell type differences were inferred using CIBERSORTx and using a reference single-cell dataset inclusive of neutrophils and their subsets.
Findings:
We identified distinct molecular profiles with high-risk patients displaying significant overexpression of genes related to neutrophil degranulation and innate immunity, alongside suppressed adaptive immune responses. The predominance of developing neutrophils underscored a major role of emergency granulopoiesis. Key TFs identified, including LTF, FOXM1, KLF1, and CEBPB, were linked to high-risk gene expression signatures. Our findings indicate a pathological shift toward a dysregulated neutrophil-driven hyperinflammation and adaptive immune suppressive state, which together are associated with adverse outcomes.
Interpretation:
Our results suggest that neutrophil dysregulation underpins the high mortality risk conferred by the PERSEVERE-II model. The identified transcriptional regulators may provide potential targets to mitigate neutrophil dysregulation and improve outcomes among high-risk patients.
