Surfactant Protein B Expression in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid of Full-Term Neonates with Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Sa？etak The aim was to investigate the surfactant protein B (SP-B) expression in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF ) of full-term neonates with respiratory distress syndrome (RD S). The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to assess SP-B expression in BALF of 60 full-term neonates with RD S and 23 healthy neonates and correlation of SP-B level with RD S classification according to chest x-ray findings and PaO2/FiO2 before mechanical ventilation in neonates with RD S. The SP-B level was significantly lower in the RD S group (17.63±6.80 ng/mL) than in healthy neonates (103.95±6.38 ng/mL) (P<0.001). The SP-B level correlated positively with PaO2/ FiO2 before mechanical ventilation (r=0.838, P<0.001). Moreover, the lower the SP-B level, the more severe was the RD S as determined by chest x-ray (P<0.001). In conclusion, full-term neonates with RD S had reduced SP-B in BALF , which was related to the severity of RD S, suggesting that SP-B supplement may be an effective strategy in the treatment of RD S in full-term neonates