Advance in pathological effect of microRNAs on acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome

Abstract

Acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a syndrome that caused by various plumonary or extra-pulmonary diseases and characterized by refractory hypoxemia. Its pathogenesis is complicated and the treatment remains challenging. Researches have denmonstrated the pathological changes of ARDS as increased permeability of alveolar blood vessels, interstitial edema and infiltration by inflammatory cells. MicroRNAs are a series of non-coding RNAs, which play an important role in regulation of several signal pathways and cellular processes. Nowadays, limited studies have reported how microRNAs affect ARDS. In this paper, we reviewed articles reporting the role of microRNAs in alveolar epithelium barrier function, pulmonary blood vessel permeability and inflammation in ARDS, in order to provide new insights in early diagnosing and better predicting outcome in ARDS patients. Key words: MicroRNAs; Acute respiratory distress syndrome; Pathology; Diagnosis