All issues > Volume 42(5); 1999

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1999;42(5):644-649. Published online May 15, 1999.

Pulmonary Inflammatory Cells in Preterm Infants with Respiratory Distress Syndrome Followed by Surfactant Treatment

Hyeon-Soo HS Lee¹, Myung-Seo MS Kang²

¹Department of Pediatrics, Pundang Jesaeng General Hospital,Sungnam, Korea
²Department of Clinical Pathology, Pundang CHA Geneneral Hospital, Sungnam, Korea

Correspondence Hyeon-Soo HS Lee ,Email: 1

Abstract

Purpose
: The effect of surfactant treatment on inflammatory cell populations has not been determined. I evaluated the effect of surfactant treatment on a number and distribution of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) from the preterm infants who were dependent on mechanical ventilation over the 1st week of life.
Methods
: This study included 8 preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome(RDS) who received surfactant(Exosurf, 67.5mg/kg Dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine(DPPC) with a volume of 5 ml/kg, single dose)on their first day of life and 7 preterm infants of similar severity who did not. BALFs were collected on days 2, 3, 5, and 7 after birth. Cell counts were performed from the obtained BALFs, then they were applied to cytospin and Wright stain, and the differentials were calculated on 200 cells.
Results
: Surfactant treatment had no significant effect on the number of BALF white cells on days 2-7. Polymorphonuclear cell numbers were not different in both groups on days 2 7. Macrophage cell numbers were higher overall in surfactant treated babies compared to those in untreated babies on days 2-7(P<0.05).
Conclusion
: Surfactant treatment appeared to accelerate the appearance of macrophages in BALF.

Keywords :Inflammatory cells, Macrophage, Respiratory distress syndrme, Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid