As such, constitutive expression of the adhesion molecule ICAM-1 and of TNFR2 was found to be significantly increased in pulmonary MVEC from ARDS patients, as well as their basal generation of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 and of the chemokine IL-8 (Grau et al., 1996). This evidence concerns the gene IL6 and acute respiratory distress syndrome.