Authors ’ response

We read with interest the recently published paper by Lorente and colleagues reporting that levels of soluble CD40 ligand (CD40L) are increased in septic patients compared with healthy controls and that increased circulating CD40L levels may be an independent predic tor of mortality in patients with sepsis [1]. Th e relation ship between platelets and soluble CD40L seen in this study is consistent with previous data showing that soluble CD40L is mainly released from activated platelets and mediates neutrophil-induced lung injury in sepsis [2]. We believe that the functional role of soluble CD40L is complex, however, and not solely related to the presence of sepsis or its severity. Th is is indicated in the study by Lorente and colleagues, in which no associations were found between soluble levels of CD40L and Acute Physio