High levels of interleukin-8 in the blood and alveolar spaces of patients with pneumonia and adult respiratory distress syndrome

Abstract

There is ample experimental evidence that polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) play a critical role in the pathogenesis of the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Since interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a strong chemotactic factor for PMN, we measured IL-8 levels in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of 18 patients, 12 with ARDS and 6 with severe pneumonia uncomplicated by ARDS, all of whom had an increased number of PMN in BAL fluid. Seven healthy subjects served as controls. We found elevated levels of IL-8 in the alveolar spaces of all patients tested. Elevated BAL IL-8 levels were related to a fatal outcome and the presence of shock and correlated with a general clinical severity index (simplified acute physiological score). BAL fluid levels of IL-8 were significantly higher in patients with ARDS than in patients with pneumonia. In plasma, IL-8 levels were increased similarly in all patients and did not correlate with survival or the presence of shock. The BAL fluid-to-plasma ratio of IL-8 was significantly greater than that of tumor necrosis factor alpha, indicating higher local production of IL-8. Moreover, the presence of a primed subpopulation of blood PMN with respect to H2O2 production indicates that IL-8 may contribute to the neutrophil-mediated process in the pathogenesis of ARDS and pneumonia.

In vivo gene silencing (with siRNA) of pulmonary expression of MIP-2 versus KC results in divergent effects on hemorrhage-induced, neutrophil-mediated septic acute lung injury

“…In trauma patience exposed to a secondary infectious challenge, however, neutrophil targeting and sequestration in the lung are associated with tissue injury, compromised lung function, and the development of ALI [4,7,9,16,20]. Studies by our laboratory and others have focused on the role of chemokines in the pathogenesis of neutrophil-associated ALI [8,15,17,19].…”

A transcriptomic analysis of the stress induced by capture–release health assessment studies in wild dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

“…IL-8 is a chemokine, a chemotactic cytokine responsible for migration of cells to a site of inflammation. It is produced early in a response by monocytes, neutrophils, macrophages and endothelial cells and activates acute inflammatory cells (Remick 2005) in response to stimulation from different agonists including lipopolysaccharide (LPS), bacteria, viruses, and cellular stressors (Hack et al 1992;Standiford et al 1992;Chollet-Martin et al 1993;DeForge et al 1993;Strieter & Kunkel 1994;Baggiolini 1998). During an infection, neutrophils are rapidly recruited to sites of inflammation where they amplify the inflammatory response and increase tissue concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and GM-CSF (Ajuebor et al 2002;Cassatella et al 1995).…”

Dapsone as treatment adjunct in ARDS

“…7 ARDS neutrophils show activation markers with excessive transendothelial migration of cytokine-primed neutrophils. 8 IL-8 has been consistently directly correlated with the degree of neutrophil concentrations in ARDS lungs. [8][9][10] Among other immune/inflammatory cell infiltrates, but degranulating neutrophils are pivotal to development of capillary damage with subsequent leakage, hyaline deposition and ARDS transition to the more deadly diffuse alveolar damage phase.…”

“…8 IL-8 has been consistently directly correlated with the degree of neutrophil concentrations in ARDS lungs. [8][9][10] Among other immune/inflammatory cell infiltrates, but degranulating neutrophils are pivotal to development of capillary damage with subsequent leakage, hyaline deposition and ARDS transition to the more deadly diffuse alveolar damage phase. [10][11][12] Antibody to IL-8 inhibits development of ARDS in several different ARDS animal models.…”