The role of nuclear factor-κ B in pulmonary diseases

Nuclear factor-κ B (NF-κB) is a family of DNA-binding protein factors that are required for I transcription of most proinflammatory molecules, including adhesion molecules, enzymes, cytokines, and chemokines. NF-κB activation seems to be a key early event in a variety of cell and I animal model systems developed to elucidate the pathobiology of lung diseases. The purpose of this short review is to describe what is known about the molecular biology of NF-κB and to review information that implicates NF-κB in the pathogenesis of lung disease, including ABDS, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, asthma, respiratory viral infections, occupational and environmental lung disease, and cystic fibrosis.