Pyrogens are proteins that can cause fever by triggering immune reactions. They can be endogenous or exogenous, and exposure to them can be dangerous. Pyrogens act as cytokines in the body and can cause permanent damage or even death. Contaminated drugs can be a source of pyrogens, and rigorous filtration and testing are required to ensure product safety. Direct infections can also cause the release of pyrogens.
A pyrogen is a protein that can induce fever in a patient by triggering a series of immune reactions. Some are endogenous, develop within the body, others are exogenous and could be introduced through contaminated food or drugs. Exposure to pyrogens can cause severe fever and could endanger a patient if the temperature is consistently high or accompanied by complications such as bleeding. A variety of measures must be taken to produce products without such compounds and to test finished products to identify contaminants that could pose a health risk.
In the body, a pyrogen acts as a cytokine, a signaller in the immune system. This leads the immune system to react, causing a temperature spike. If the fever gets high enough, the patient may develop an altered level of consciousness and may fall into a coma. Severe fevers can cause permanent neurological damage along with other health problems and can be fatal in some cases. If a patient was already ill before exposure to pyrogens, it can reduce the patient’s prognosis or long-term outlook.
A potential source of these compounds is contaminated drugs. Numerous bacteria produce pyrogens, usually as part of their cell walls. If they get into batches of drugs, they can cause disease in patients. Especially when a drug is injected directly, the patient’s body may be hit by a pyrogen explosion, and the patient may experience a severe reaction to the injection, sometimes within minutes.
Even sterile solutions can be contaminated if they are not handled correctly during production. Rigorous filtration is required at each stage to keep the contents pure and they must be handled with care until sealed in their shipping packaging. Pharmaceutical companies use periodic pyrogen testing to verify the safety of their products. If a batch contains pyrogens, the company can either destroy it or recall it, depending on whether the drug has reached the market.
Direct infections can also cause the body to release pyrogens. Some bacterial infections are associated with fevers and other extreme reactions caused by bacterial toxins. Bacteria might produce toxins as a byproduct of other activities or when they die. Ironically, antibiotic therapy can sometimes make a patient temporarily ill by killing the bacteria and triggering a mass release of toxins. If an infection involves bacteria known to cause this, the doctor may need to be careful when prescribing, to limit the risks to the patient.
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