Terminal disease was characterized by a mean reduction of 13.5% in the proportions of neutrophils (P = 0.0011), a mean increase of 36.2% in neutrophil expression of CD64+ (the sepsis marker, P = 0.0068), and a mean reduction of 66.8% in neutrophil expression of HLA-DR+ (P < 0.0001), regardless of the route of infection. This evidence concerns the gene FCGR1A and infection.