The predictive role of serum and bronchoalveolar lavage cytokines and adhesion molecules for acute respiratory distress syndrome development and outcome.
BACKGROUND
The predictive role of many cytokines and adhesion molecules has not been studied systematically in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).


METHODS
We measured prospectively tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin (IL)-1, soluble vascular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) within 2 hours following admission, in 65 patients. The patients were divided into: those fulfilling the criteria for ARDS (n = 23, group A), those who were pre-ARDS and who developed ARDS within 24 hours (n = 14, group B), and those on pre-ARDS but who never developed ARDS (n = 28, group C).


RESULTS
All the measured molecules were only found at higher levels in the serum of patients that died either with or without ARDS (P < 0.05 - P < 0.0001). Patients at risk exhibited a good negative predictive value (NPV) of the measured molecules for ARDS development both in their serum (89 to 95%) and BALF (86 to 92%) levels. In contrast to BALF, serum levels of IL-1 and adhesion molecules exhibited a good NPV (68 to 96%), sensitivity (60 to 88%) and survival specificity (74 to 96%) in all groups. All molecules in serum and BALF IL-1 were correlated with the APACHE II (P < 0.05 - P < 0.0001). Serum and BALF IL-1 as well as BALF TNF-alpha were negatively correlated to PaO2/FiO2 (all P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The studied molecules have good NPV for ARDS development both in serum and BALF. Serum rather than BALF levels seem to be related to outcome.
Agouridakis
Panagiotis
P
Intensive Care Unit, General Hospital of Rethymnon, Crete, Greece.
Kyriakou
Despina
D
Alexandrakis
Michael G
MG
Prekates
Athanasios
A
Perisinakis
Kostas
K
Karkavitsas
Nikolaos
N
Bouros
Demosthenes
D
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage / Q000379:methods; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D016207:Cytokines