title: Monitoring alveolar epithelial function in acute lung injury.
abstract: Identification of humoral markers of acute lung injury may lead to insights into pathologic mechanisms. In addition, specific markers may be useful for predicting development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or for assessing prognosis. Ultimately, studies of lung injury markers may help define interventions that prevent or moderate ARDS. The alveolar epithelium is important both for the integrity of the blood-gas barrier and for repair of the barrier after lung injury. This article reviews markers that derive from or relate to the alveolar epithelium and that might be used for monitoring alveolar epithelial function in acute lung injury. Surfactant apoproteins may be important markers of injury or for prognosis. Levels of surfactant apoprotein A (SP-A) fall 50-75% in patients with severe lung injury compared to normal patients. Serum levels of SP-A in patients dying of acute respiratory distress syndrome are double serum levels of survivors.
authors.affiliation: Anesthesiology Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161-5085, USA. rhhastings@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Hastings
mesh_terms: D001059:Apoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology*; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000032:analysis*; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001059:Apoproteins; D015415:Biomarkers; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; C046616:pulmonary surfactant apoprotein