Increased C5a receptor expression in sepsis.

Excessive production of the complement activation product C5a appears to be harmful during the development of sepsis in rodents. Little is known about the role of the C5a receptor (C5aR) and its presence in different organs during sepsis. Using the cecal ligation/puncture (CLP) model in mice, we show here that C5aR immunoreactivity was strikingly increased in lung, liver, kidney, and heart early in sepsis in both control and neutrophil-depleted mice.