Interleukin-8 and adult respiratory distress syndrome.

The adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a process of diffuse inflammation and increased permeability of pulmonary microvasculature, carries a high morbidity and mortality (40-90%) (1). Neutrophils have received a great deal of attention as the primary effector cells of this disease process. There is a marked increase in the numberofneutrophils in the alveolar spaces. High concentrations of neutrophil elastase and myeloperoxidase are found in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients with ARDS. Moreover, there is considerable evidence linking neutrophils and the severity ofARDS(2). In addition, many animal models of ARDSare totally or partially dependent on the presence of neutrophils (3). Cytokines are endogenously produced small proteins that possess multiple biologic activities, even in low concentrations. Cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin1 (IL-1) induce local as well as systemic inflammatory re-