A 40-year-old man is brought to emergency by his girlfriend for a 1-hour history of severe lightheadedness. He has had a fever for the past few days and a 1-week history of worsening redness and pain of his left lower leg. He works as a landscaper and frequently has exposure to grasses and weeds, but doesn’t recall any specific trauma or skin penetration. Temperature is 101 F, HR 80, RR 16, BP 100/60. Binding of which of the following is the most likely explanation of this patient’s hemodynamic status?
A) IL-12 receptor
B) LFA-1/CD18 integrin
C) Lipid A of lipopolysaccharide
D) MHC II and T-cell receptor
E) Toll-like receptor 4 (CD14)
