• Katie R Famous, Kevin Delucchi, Lorraine B Ware, Kirsten N Kangelaris, Kathleen D Liu, B Taylor Thompson, Carolyn S Calfee, and ARDS Network.
• 1 Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine.
• Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2017 Feb 1; 195 (3): 331-338.

RationaleWe previously identified two acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) subphenotypes in two separate randomized controlled trials with differential response to positive end-expiratory pressure.ObjectivesTo identify these subphenotypes in a third ARDS cohort, to test whether subphenotypes respond differently to fluid management strategy, and to develop a practical model for subphenotype identification.MethodsWe used latent class analysis of baseline clinical and plasma biomarker data to identify subphenotypes in FACTT (Fluid and Catheter Treatment Trial; n = 1,000). Logistic regression was used to test for an interaction between subphenotype and treatment for mortality. We used stepwise modeling to generate a model for subphenotype identification in FACTT and validated its accuracy in the two cohorts in which we previously identified ARDS subphenotypes.Measurements And Main ResultsWe confirmed that a two-class (two-subphenotype) model best described the study population. Subphenotype 2 was again characterized by higher inflammatory biomarkers and hypotension. Fluid management strategy had significantly different effects on 90-day mortality in the two subphenotypes (P = 0.0039 for interaction); mortality in subphenotype 1 was 26% with fluid-liberal strategy versus 18% with fluid-conservative, whereas mortality in subphenotype 2 was 40% with fluid-liberal strategy versus 50% in fluid-conservative. A three-variable model of IL-8, bicarbonate, and tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 accurately classified the subphenotypes.ConclusionsThis analysis confirms the presence of two ARDS subphenotypes that can be accurately identified with a limited number of variables and that responded differently to randomly assigned fluid management. These findings support the presence of ARDS subtypes that may require different treatment approaches.

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