PECAM1 and Sepsis: Notably, at 72 h after sepsis development, the mice carrying HCN of DEFA1/DEFA3 showed a marked loss of CD31+ endothelial cells in microvessels from lung (Fig. 3 C and D), kidney (Fig. 3 E and F), and mesentery (SI Appendix, Fig. S7 C and D), which presumably resulted from lethal injury of the endothelial cells.