Figure 3.

Procalcitonin response to consequent infectious insults. During regulated inflammatory response the two phenotypes of macrophages, (M) the proinflammatory (M₁) and anti-inflammatory (M₂), are balanced. As time goes by due to a dysregulated response patients become immunoparalyzed; in other words, M₂ overwhelms M₁; hence, forces are shifted towards “new balance.” This is reflected by lower PCT peak levels after each new infectious insult, which can be of the same gravity clinically. For further explanation see text.