The intrauterine expression of surfactant protein D in the terminal airways of human fetuses compared with surfactant protein A.
We investigated the expression of surfactant protein (SP)-D in pulmonary epithelial cells, compared with the expression of SP-A. A total of 15 fetuses aborted at 8, 15, 19, 20, 21 and 23 weeks gestation and four premature babies who were stillborn or died after birth between May 1997 and October 2001 were included in this study. Fetuses showing any findings associated with preterm premature rupture of membranes or infection were excluded. We performed immunohistochemical examinations for SP-D and SP-A. SP-D was not detected by immunostaining at 8, 15 and 19 weeks gestation. At 21 weeks gestation, SP-D was weakly localized, in some cases (5/9), in the epithelial lining of both bronchioles and terminal airways. In contrast at 21 weeks gestation, SP-A was more markedly detected in the epithelial lining of both bronchioles and terminal airways in all cases but not detected in bronchioles and terminal airways at 8, 15 and 19 weeks gestation.


CONCLUSIONS
the findings in this investigation suggests that the production of SP-D in fetal human lungs begins in the bronchiolar and terminal epithelium from about 21 weeks of gestation.
Mori
Kazuhiro
K
Division of Neonatology, Department of Paediatrics, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Sinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
Kurihara
Nobuyoshi
N
Hayashida
Shinya
S
Tanaka
Mamoru
M
Ikeda
Kazushige
K
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000473:pathology; D001980:Bronchi / Q000737:chemistry*; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000473:pathology; D005333:Fetus / Q000737:chemistry*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D020556:Neutrophil Infiltration; D011510:Proteolipids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A; D037663:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000737:chemistry*
D006023:Glycoproteins; D011510:Proteolipids; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A; D037663:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants