This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.Acute lung injury and its more severe form, the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), are common reasons for admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). In acute lung injury and ARDS, the tissues of the lungs fill up with white blood cells that are activated to release substances producing intense inflammation in the lungs. It is estimated that about 100,000 to 150,000 people per year in the U.S. have acute lung injury or ARDS. Death rates from this condition remain high, with about a third of patients with acute lung injury dying from this problem. Although there are many reasons for the development of acute lung injury, infection and particularly lung infections, like pneumonia, are among the most common reasons. This study is designed to find out why some people develop acute lung injury while others, with the same medical problems, don't have this problem. We also know that a person's genes and genetic makeup affect whether they will develop a disease. However, we don't know why certain people develop acute lung injury after a pneumonia and others do not. In these studies, we will examine the genes that are turned on or off when a person's white blood cells are exposed to endotoxin and other substances that cause inflammation. We will then see if there is any relationship between these genetic responses in a person's white blood cells and their lung response to endotoxin.These studies should provide us with important information about the reasons that people develop acute lung injury. These experiments also may help us develop treatments that will improve the care of patients with acute lung injury and reduce the number of people who die from this serious medical condition.
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