美国Knoll制药公司已开始在首批1500例脓毒症患者中进行MAK195单克隆抗体（McAb）的Ⅲ期研究。这种抗α肿瘤坏死因子（TNF-α）的药物能明显降低脓毒症患者的死亡率,但仅限于对血清白细胞介素（IL）6水平升高的患者有效。这些患者约占所有脓毒症患者的1/3～1/2,在美国每年约有20万例。然而,这一限制可能并非不利,因为高水平IL-6似乎还是死亡危险性增高的主要指示物。该公司认为,IL-6是部分由TNF诱导的标志。TNF-α是脓毒性休克的主要介导细胞因子。 The United States Knoll Pharmaceutical Company has begun in the first 1500 patients with sepsis MAK195 monoclonal antibody (McAb) phase III study. This anti-TNF alpha drug significantly reduces mortality in sepsis but is limited to patients with elevated serum interleukin (IL) 6 levels. These patients account for about one-third to one-half of all sepsis patients and about 200,000 in the United States each year. However, this limitation may not be unfavorable as high levels of IL-6 appear to be the main indicator of the increased risk of death. The company believes that IL-6 is a marker that is induced in part by TNF. TNF-α is the major mediator of cytokines in septic shock.