Autotaxin levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid are associated with inflammatory and fibrotic biomarkers and the clinical outcome in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome

BACKGROUND: Autotaxin (ATX) is a secreted glycoprotein that is widely present in extracellular biological fluids and has been implicated in many inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. However, the clinical impact of the release of ATX in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains unclear. METHODS: Serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) levels of ATX, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-7, fibronectin, oncostatin M (OSM), and SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine) were collected from 52 patients with ARDS within 24 h of diagnosis. All cytokines were measured by Magnetic Luminex Assay. BALF albumin (BA) and serum albumin (SA) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Serum ATX, MMP-7, and BALF IL-8 levels were significantly higher in patients who did not survive than in those who survived up to 28 days after diagnosis of ARDS (P < 0.05). BALF and serum ATX levels were correlated with IL-6, IL-8, and MMP-7 levels in BALF and serum, respectively. In addition, BALF ATX was positively correlated with BALF TNF-α, fibronectin, OSM, and SPARC as well as the BA/SA ratio, while serum ATX was correlated with severity of illness based on the SOFA score and PaO(2)/FIO(2) ratio. Furthermore, serum ATX was better able to predict 28-day ARDS-related mortality (area under the curve 0.744, P < 0.01) than the SOFA score, APACHE II score, or PaO(2)/FIO(2) ratio. Serum ATX independently predicted mortality in a univariate Cox regression model (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The serum ATX level is a potential prognostic biomarker in patients with ARDS. BALF ATX is associated with pulmonary biomarkers of inflammation and fibrosis, suggesting a role of ATX in the pathogenesis of ARDS. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40560-021-00559-3.