Effect of exogenous surfactant therapy on levels of pulmonary surfactant proteins A and D in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether exogenous pulmonary surfactants (exPS) substitute for or merely supplement endogenous pulmonary surfactants (enPS) by looking at sequential changes in the surfactant proteins (SP) SP-A and SP-D in alveolar pools.


METHODS
Fourteen preterm infants with RDS treated with an artificial surfactant were compared to five normal-term infants without RDS who were treated with artificial ventilation at birth.


RESULTS
Immediately after birth, SP-A and SP-D were essentially absent in the alveolar pools of the RDS group, but were present at normal levels in the controls. Treatment with exPS apparently stimulated enPS production.


CONCLUSIONS
In infants who responded well to exPS therapy, the SP concentration reached essentially normal levels within 48-72 h after birth.
Bae
Young Min
YM
Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Kyunghee University, Kangdong-Gu, Seoul, Korea.
Bae
Chong-Woo
CW
Oh
Myung Ho
MH
Lee
Sang Han
SH
Woo
Kee Min
KM
Jung
Keum Bun
KB
D000367:Age Factors; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D037663:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy
D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A; D037663:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants