Early Systemic Biomarkers of Acute Lung Injury: Application of Multiplex Proteomic Array Technology

Many questions related to the cellular mechanisms of lung injury/toxicity from highdose exposure to militarily relevant toxic gases, chemicals and/or irritants still remain unanswered. This is primarily due to limited interest in the toxicity of such high-level exposures in the civilian sector. Early detection and delineation of cellular changes following exposure to high-level environmental oxidants/irritants is essential for the development of much-needed preventive strategies and tools for therapeutic intervention, and also for monitoring preand post-deployment ‘lung health’, of active duty U.S. solders. A number of militarily relevant environmental and occupational ‘insults’, such as noxious irritants, air-born particulates, toxic gases, chemicals and pathogens have been shown to cause acute pulmonary inflammation/injury, which often lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), multi-organ dysfunctions and/or failures. The same is applicable to blast overpressure (BOP) shockwave induced lung and/or multi-organ injury, which is currently a major concern in today’s Force Health Protection and Military Operational Medicine.