title: Surfactant apoprotein-A concentration in airway secretions for the detection of pulmonary oedema.
abstract: Patients with cardiogenic pulmonary oedema expectorate foamy sputum containing surfactant, which might be expected to include surfactant apoprotein A (SP-A). SP-A is specific for lung surfactant. We have measured the SP-A concentration in airway secretions to determine whether it is useful in distinguishing pulmonary oedema from other disorders. Samples of sputum and of aspirated airway secretion were obtained from 11 patients with cardiogenic pulmonary oedema, seven patients with clinically stable congestive heart failure, five patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and 20 control patients (10 intubated) with other respiratory diseases. The samples were used for the measurement of SP-A concentration by a two-site simultaneous immunoassay with monoclonal antibodies against SP-A. SP-A concentrations, measured in samples of sputum and aspirated secretions, depended on the diagnosis of the patients from which they had come. In descending order these samples came from patients with: cardiogenic pulmonary oedema (1324 +/- 197 micrograms.mL-1; n = 33); ARDS (311 +/- 47 micrograms.mL-1; n = 23); clinically stable congestive heart failure (78 +/- 10 micrograms.mL-1; n = 21); and control conditions (3.0 +/- 0.6 micrograms.mL-1; n = 30). Concentrations from disease samples did not overlap with controls. In samples from patients with cardiogenic pulmonary oedema, the SP-A concentration correlated with mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) (p < 0.001; n = 39). These findings indicate that the measurement of the surfactant apoprotein A concentration in airway secretions may be useful for the detection of pulmonary oedema.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takishima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shirato
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001980:Bronchi / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008297:Male; D011510:Proteolipids / Q000032:analysis*; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000175:diagnosis*; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000032:analysis*; D011669:Pulmonary Wedge Pressure; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D013183:Sputum / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D011510:Proteolipids; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants