The compromised inflammatory response to bacterial components after pediatric cardiac surgery is associated with cardiopulmonary bypass-suppressed Toll-like receptor signal transduction pathways

These results indicate that CPB during pediatric cardiac surgery causes substantially reduced production of inflammatory cytokines in response to bacterial component LPS or BLP stimulation, which is associated with CPB-induced suppression of TLR-mediated signal transduction pathways. This reduced inflammatory response after CPB in children with congenital heart disease may predispose them to an increased risk of postoperative infection.