Inclusion Criteria

Inclusion criteria:

- Written informed consent from patient of legal representative

- Age >18 years

- Presence of septic shock of bacterial origin with evidence of bacterial infection
(last 96 hours, with at least one pathogenic microorganism in blood, sputum, urine,
normally sterile body fluid, or on central venous catheter; Focus of infection
identified (e.g. ruptured bowel, purulent drainage/sputum); or leukocytes in normally
sterile body fluid), Two SIRS criteria (last 24 hours, fever (>38.3 ˚C), hypothermia
(<35.6 ˚C), tachycardia (>90bpm), tachypnea (>20/min), or partial pressure of
arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2) <32 mmHg, or mechanical ventilation, leukocytosis
(>12,000/μl), leucopenia (<4,0000/μl), or >10% immature forms), and presence of shock
with need for vasopressor therapy to maintain systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 90
mmHg.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Pregnancy or lactating

- Subjects with a history of allergy or intolerance to IFN-gamma

- Systemic autoimmune disease, hematologic disease (neoplasma, acute leukemia),
transplant patients, or patients on steroid medication receiving a prednisolone
equivalent of > 5 mg per day

- Human immunodeficiency virus positivity

- Presence of an advanced directive to withhold or to withdraw life sustaining
treatment

- Underlying disease with a prognosis for survival < 3 months, or moribund patient
highly likely to die within 24 hours.

- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (<72 hours) before enrollment

- Acute myocardial infarction or pulmonary embolization (<72 hours)

- Participation in a clinical trial until 30 days prior to inclusion

- Subjects with a history of documented epileptic seizures

- Subjects with severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance less than 30 mL/min)

- Subjects with severe liver failure (impaired synthesis of proteins such as
coagulation factors manifested by increased prothrombin time)

- Subjects with an absolute neutrophil count of less than 500/mm3 at study entry