Soluble Forms and Ligands of RAGE in ALI/ARDS (SoLiRAGE).

RAGE, the receptor for advanced glycation end products, is a novel marker of alveolar epithelial type I cell injury. Soluble RAGE (sRAGE) is elevated in the plasma and in the pulmonary edema fluid from patients with ALI/ARDS, but one should acknowledge that the RAGE/NF-B axis is also involved in the pathophysiology of various other conditions. Few data are available about the levels of soluble forms and ligands of RAGE in the setting of ALI/ARDS. The purpose of this observational prospective study is to describe soluble forms (sRAGE, esRAGE) and ligands of RAGE (HMGB-1, S100A12, AGEs) levels in ICU patients with ALI/ARDS.