ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of apoptosis of pulmonary cells in aspiration induced lung injury in patients with severe brain injury with or without aspiration-induced lung injury. METHODS: The Glasgow scale (GCS) of 11 dead patients with severe closed brain injury was 3-8. There 11 cases were divided into aspiration-induced lung injury (AILI) and non-aspiration-induced lung injury (NAILI) groups. The plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) were measured, and the ratio of apoptosis in lung tissue cells was also determined. RESULTS: The plasma levels of TNF-alpha and IL-8 in NAILI and AILI groups were (2.17+/-0.41)nug/L vs. (3.14+/-0.28)nug/L and (0.42+/-0.05)nug/L vs. (0.91+/-0.08) nug/L (P<0.05) respectively. Lung tissue cell apoptosis ratio was significantly higher in AILI group than NAILI group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: TNF-alpha and IL-8 may induce apoptosis in lung tissues through different signaling pathway. During the early phase of aspiration-induced lung injury complicating severe closed brain injury, apoptosis in cells of lung tissue may play a role in the pathogenes.
