Burn toxins and extracellular inflammatory mediators

Burn toxins and extracellular inflammatory mediators refers to a broad array of pathogenic substances that circulate systemically following severe thermal injury. This group includes the historical burn toxin, a specific lipid-protein complex (LPC) formed by the thermal denaturation of skin components, which has been shown to exert potent immunosuppressive and toxic effects (Schoenenberger, 1975). Modern clinical focus also encompasses a wide range of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-6, TNF-alpha), chemokines, and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that drive the cytokine storm and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) (Nielson et al., 2017). These mediators are critical in the progression from local tissue injury to life-threatening multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Because these targets are numerous and diverse, they are typically addressed using extracorporeal blood purification technologies rather than specific small-molecule drugs. Devices like CytoSorb are designed to non-specifically adsorb these middle-molecular-weight hydrophobic substances from the blood, thereby reducing the systemic inflammatory burden and supporting organ recovery (Ankney et al., 2022; Gruda et al., 2018).

Other names

Burn-associated toxinsCutaneous burn toxin (CBT)Lipid-protein complex (LPC)Pro-inflammatory cytokinesDamage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs)Inflammatory mediators

Extracorporeal removal of middle-molecular-weight inflammatory mediators and toxins via size-exclusion and hydrophobic adsorption.