Endothelial apoptosis in critical illness

Endothelial injury is a hallmark of critical illness, and markers of endothelial perturbation correlate with severity of illness and final outcome. Available in vitro and experimental data suggest that endothelial apoptosis could play a role in critical illness. A review of recently described therapies for the critically ill demonstrates that all have an antiapoptotic effect on the endothelium. If the role of endothelial apoptosis is confirmed in future investigations, targeting this process with antiapoptotic therapies may lead to a breakthrough in the treatment of critically ill patients.