IL6 and acute respiratory distress syndrome: Disease progression is associated with the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway and inflammation-related transcription factors, including nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB), activator protein 1, and nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2, which regulate cell proinflammatory cytokine-associated genes to attenuate the production of interleukin- (IL-) 1β, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and inducible nitric oxide synthase in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced ALI [7, 8].