CX3CL1 and Sepsis: In addition, sepsis was associated with activation of the vascular endothelium (elevated plasma concentrations of soluble E-selectin, soluble ICAM-1, fractalkine and angiopoietin-2, and reduced levels of angiopoietin-1) (Fig. 2) and the coagulation system (elevated D-dimer levels, prolonged PT and aPTT, and reduced levels of the anticoagulant proteins protein C and antithrombin) (Fig. 3).