Cell apoptosis and morphological changes of cell death pattern in PBMCs from sepsis patients and healthy volunteers. A Flow cytometry of PBMCs showing cell apoptosis and necrosis rate. B Electron microscopy images of PBMCs in sepsis patients from survival and death groups (SEM, scale bar = 25 μm; TEM, scale bar = 25 and 10 μm). C Representative electron microscope images of PBMCs showing typical cell death morphology of pyroptosis, apoptosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis in death group. (SEM, scale bar = 50 and 25 μm; TEM, scale bar = 25 and 10 μm). Red arrow: pore formation; Red star: bulges; Yellow arrow: autolysosomes; Black arrow: blurred nuclear membrane; Purple arrow: autophagosomes; Blue arrow: mitochondrial pyknosis. D Western blotting of several key molecules related to cell apoptosis and pyroptosis in PBMCs of sepsis patients. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ns = no significance. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)