title: KL-6 in acute lung injury: will it leave its mark?
abstract: Studies have indicated that measuring biochemical measures of epithelial injury in plasma and alveolar fluid may be useful in predicting outcome in acute lung injury. The present commentary briefly reviews the evidence supporting the use of these biochemical biomarkers of epithelial injury in acute lung injury, and in particular KL-6, as well as their limitations. The article additionally proposes the need for physiological markers of epithelial function to complement current biochemical biomarkers.
authors.affiliation: Research fellow, Royal Victoria hospital/Queen's University of Belfast, Respiratory Research Group, Microbiology Building, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BA.
authors.forename: Murali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shyamsundar
authors.forename: Danny F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: McAuley
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification / Q000401:mortality; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C060192:MUC1 protein, human; D018396:Mucin-1