CFTR and pulmonary edema: To this end, we first outline the general principles of alveolar fluid transport and the role of inflammatory cytokines in lung edema formation, then focus specifically on the role of NKCC1 and CFTR in pulmonary edema and inflammation, and their regulation by cytokines, and finally conclude by proposing a critical role for cytokine-dependent regulation of NKCC1 and CFTR as a novel concept in the pathogenesis of pulmonary edema.