Diagnostic power of lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio and fluorescence polarization assays for respiratory distress syndrome compared by relative operating characteristic curves.
Amniotic fluids from 328 patients were analyzed for lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio and surfactant/albumin (S/A) ratio by fluorescence polarization. Of this group, 61 neonates showed respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) on delivery within 3 days of testing. We compared the power of the L/S and S/A in diagnosing pulmonary maturity, using relative operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The area defined by the ROC curve of the S/A test exceeded the area defined by the L/S curve, but this difference was not statistically significant. The diagnostic power of the S/A test appears to be at least equal to that of the standard L/S test. A review of five cases of RDS in which laboratory tests had suggested maturity showed that neither the L/S nor the S/A could satisfactorily resolve the problem of false interpretations of maturity, particularly in mothers with diabetes mellitus who underwent cesarean section.
Bender
T M
TM
Department of Pathology, Magee Womens Hospital, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA 15213.
Stone
L R
LR
Amenta
J S
JS
D000418:Albumins / Q000032:analysis; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity; D005454:Fluorescence Polarization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000032:analysis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000032:analysis; D012372:ROC Curve; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000032:analysis*
D000418:Albumins; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D013109:Sphingomyelins