An another project related to determining what causes the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), we have been studying the role of iron and an iron-binding molecule called ferritin. Effective binding of iron may be pivotal in preventing lung injury, because free iron makes oxidants more toxic and large amounts of oxidants are being generated in the lungs of patients at-risk for and with ARDS. In addition, even more oxidants may begenerated when they are given high concentrations of oxygen.
We found increased ferritin levels in the blood of humans with or at-risk for ARDS. We also found increased ferritin in the blood of rats subjected to a hemorrhage that develop ARDS. We are studying the effects of these increases in ferritin as they may be useful as predictors of ARDS development in at-risk patients. We are also trying to identify ways to reduce the effects of free iron on the development of ARDS.