Understanding the role of neutrophils in acute respiratory distress syndrome

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is difficult to treat and is associated with a high mortality rate. The most severe form of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) also leads to life-threatening ARDS. Neutrophil counts are positively correlated with disease severity in ARDS. Neutrophil activa...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Shun-Chin Yang, Yung-Fong Tsai, Yen-Lin Pan, Tsong-Long Hwang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2021-08-01
Series:Biomedical Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2319417020301499
Description
Summary:Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is difficult to treat and is associated with a high mortality rate. The most severe form of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) also leads to life-threatening ARDS. Neutrophil counts are positively correlated with disease severity in ARDS. Neutrophil activation not only plays a significant role in immune defense against infections, but also causes tissue damage and leads to inflammatory diseases. Activated neutrophils rapidly migrate to inflamed lung tissue, releasing toxic granular contents and generating neutrophil extracellular traps. In the last few decades, it has become apparent that neutrophils occupy a central role in ARDS pathology. In this review, we summarize the neutrophil inflammatory responses and their relationships to ARDS. According to the current literature, understanding the function of neutrophils may be helpful in the treatment of ARDS.
ISSN:2319-4170