CASP3 and acute respiratory distress syndrome: There was a significant increase in serum IL-1β and IL-6 concentrations during the first episodes of ARDS; however, high-dose prednisolone ameliorated the inflammatory symptoms, reduced cytokine levels (Table S1), and decreased cell death (as shown by TUNEL staining and cleaved caspase-3 staining; Fig. 1, D and E).