title: The effect of methylprednisolone on the pulmonary accumulation of transferrin in the adult respiratory distress syndrome.
abstract: Plasma protein accumulation (PPA) was monitored in the lungs of patients with the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Transferrin radiolabelled in vivo with indium-113m was used as the plasma protein marker. Ten patients with clinically defined ARDS, exhibiting increased PPA indices (greater than 1.0 X 10(-3) min-1), were given intravenous infusion of methylprednisolone (MP; 30 mg kg-1 over 10 min). The four patients in whom the PPA indices were reduced to below 0.5 X 10(-3) min-1 within 1 h of completion of MP infusion all survived. In the remaining six patients PPA indices remained above 0.5 X 10(-3) min-1 and five of them died. The PPA indices prior to administration of MP were not significantly different in the survivors (n = 5) and non-survivors (n = 5); however, after MP they were significantly lower in the survivors compared with the non-survivors (P less than 0.02). Thus the response to an infusion of MP, monitored as PPA, may provide a predictor of survival in ARDS.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002199:Capillary Permeability; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007204:Indium; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011868:Radioisotopes; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014168:Transferrin
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes; D014168:Transferrin; D007204:Indium; D008775:Methylprednisolone