Endogenous α2-antiplasmin is protective during severe gram-negative sepsis (melioidosis).

Rationale: α2-Antiplasmin (A2AP) is a major inhibitor of fibrinolysis by virtue of its capacity to inhibit plasmin. Although the fibrinolytic system is strongly affected by infection, the functional role of A2AP in the host response to sepsis is unknown.

Objectives: To study the role of A2AP in melioidosis, a common form of community-acquired sepsis in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia caused by the gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei.