Figure 1.

Neutrophil activation and NETs release in intestinal tissue of NEC patients occur as a result of various stimuli such as pathological bacteria, PAMPs and ROS. Though NETs and their components are important to prevent bacterial translocation through the intestine, dysregulated NETs release leads to adjacent epithelial and endothelial injury, cytokine release, platelet activation and thrombus formation. This would result in a vicious cycle of tissue necrosis, further immune activation, ischemia reperfusion injury, uncontrolled inflammation, multi-organ failure, and death.