The influenza virus affects the respiratory tract through direct damage, or indirectly through the inflammatory response. While the inflammatory and immune response produced after influenza infection is very important in controlling the infection, the same inflammatory pathways may also be responsible for the development of organ failure and secondary immune compromise that are major causes of mortality and morbidity. Due to the key role of inflammatory response in determining patient outcomes, assessment of immune activation through key biomarkers has been postulated as a theranostic approach [1].
