<h4>Background</h4>Matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) is a proteolytic enzyme involved in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) pathophysiology that may serve as a lung-specific biomarker in ARDS.<h4>Methods</h4>This study was a secondary biomarker analysis of a subset of Albuterol for the Treatment of Acute Lung Injury (ALTA) trial patients to determine the prognostic value of MMP-3. This evidence concerns the gene MMP3 and acute respiratory distress syndrome.