However, concentrations of TNFα, sTNF-R1 and CXCL8 both in BALF and serum, were significantly higher in NC-ARDS than in C-ARDS, suggesting that inflammatory pathways involving NF-kB could be probably more up-regulated in NC-ARDS than in C-ARDS. This evidence concerns the gene CXCL8 and acute respiratory distress syndrome.