Serum Levels of Hsp60 Correlate with the Development of Acute Lung Injury after Trauma1

Serum levels of Hsp60 detected within 30 min after trauma correlate with the development of ALI. Immature but mature Hsp60 causes in vitro the release of NO by macrophages, suggesting that the extracellular release of the immature Hsp60 associated with traumatic cell necrosis could be involved in the release of NO by immune competent cells, leading to an activation of the inflammatory response within the lung or other organs.