TNF and acute respiratory distress syndrome: In a previous pilot randomized controlled trial of patients with moderate to severe ARDS, inhaled sevoflurane, compared to intravenous midazolam, improved oxygenation and decreased inflammation and lung epithelial injury, as assessed by plasma and an alveolar soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α [14].