Endothelin activates monocytes in trauma and burns

To determine if prior in vitro studies demonstrating endothelin-mediated activation of human monocytes might have relevance in the clinical scenarios of shock-trauma and major burns, an observational study of plasma endothelin and cytokine levels in trauma and burn patients was designed. In 100% of trauma and burn patients, endothelin levels were elevated compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, the elevation of endothelin levels was accompanied by elevations of both interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels. Thus, in vitro observations of endothelin-mediated stimulation of monocyte production of cytokines may be clinically relevant.