Biologic Markers of Acute Lung Injury

Abstract

The pathogenetic mechanisms of acute lung injury have been examined in many clinical studies. There are at least three good reasons to search for sensitive and specific biologic markers of clinical acute lung injury (Pittet et al., 1997). First, these markers may improve the prediction of acute lung injury in high-risk clinical conditions such as sepsis, pneumonia, severe trauma, and following aspiration of gastric contents. Secondly, these biologic markers may provide new insights into the pathogenesis of clinical lung injury. Third, the biologic markers may help to predict the outcome of patients once clinical acute lung injury has developed.