VWF and acute respiratory distress syndrome: von Willebrand factor (VWF), adhesion molecules (such as E-selectin, L-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule [ICAM], and vascular cell adhesion protein-1), thrombomodulin (TM), protein C, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) are also known as important markers of endothelial activation and injury in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).