title: The inflammation-coagulation axis as an important intermediate pathway in acute lung injury.
abstract: Markers of inflammation, coagulation, and fibrinolysis predict an adverse outcome in patients with sepsis. These markers also seem predictive of an adverse outcome in patients with localized infection and inflammation, such as in acute lung injury. Whether this is entirely related to the disease or is also due to ventilation strategies that may be harmful for the lungs, however, is not clear. In the present issue of Critical Care, McClintock and colleagues demonstrate that these biomarkers retain their predictive effect even if lung-protective ventilation strategies are applied. Besides being biomarkers that predict outcome in patients with acute lung injury, their activation of inflammation and coagulation seems also to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury, and may thereby represent an interesting novel target for therapeutic intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Medicine & Internal Medicine (F-4), Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands. m.m.levi@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levi
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schultz
mesh_terms: D018806:APACHE; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000097:blood; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011486:Protein C / Q000378:metabolism; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality*; D015996:Survival Rate; D018180:Thrombomodulin / Q000097:blood; D013990:Tidal Volume
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; D011486:Protein C; D018180:Thrombomodulin; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1