title: Metabolomic analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in preterm infants complicated by respiratory distress syndrome: preliminary results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Metabolomics is a technique used to non-invasively determine a snapshot of the current metabolic status of an organism by analyzing intact tissue or bio-fluids. The aim of the present preliminary study was to analyze metabolic profiles in preterm infants complicated by respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) trough bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) measurement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve BALF samples collected at birth prior surfactant, post-surfactant during mechanical ventilation and at extubation time-points, were analyzed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and Gas chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  GC-MS analysis identified 25 metabolites of whom 10 had a known molecular structure. They were: undecane, decanoic acid, dodecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, 9-octadecanoic acid, tetracosanoic acid, myristic acid, phosphate. These metabolites were over-expressed in BALF collected during mechanical ventilation after surfactant administration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present preliminary data suggest that metabolic profile in BALF of RDS infants is becoming possible opening a new cue of metabolomics as promising tool in management of sick premature infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal, Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, CasilinoHospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fabiano
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gazzolo
authors.forename: Luc J I
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: Antonio W D
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Gavilanes
authors.forename: Piermichele
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paolillo
authors.forename: Vassilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fanos
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caboni
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barberini
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noto
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Atzori
mesh_terms: D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000378:metabolism*; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D055432:Metabolomics / Q000379:methods; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000032:analysis; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants