Measurement of protein flux with positron emission tomography in neonates

• Published in: Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition Vol. 80; no. 1; pp. F26 - F29
• Main Authors: Nama, Vijay, Kozlowski, Jim K, Hamvas, Aaron
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 01.01.1999; BMJ; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Group
• Subjects: Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Babies; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Capillary Permeability; Case-Control Studies; Emergency and intensive care: neonates and children. Prematurity. Sudden death; Emission measurements; Female; Fluctuations; Gallium; Gas exchange; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature - metabolism; Infants; Intensive care medicine; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Lung - diagnostic imaging; Lung - metabolism; Lungs; Male; Mathematical models; Medical sciences; Methods; Neonates; Original; Permeability; Physiology; positron emission tomography; Proteins; Proteins - metabolism; pulmonary vascular permeability; Radionuclide investigations; Respiratory distress syndrome; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn - diagnostic imaging; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn - metabolism; Respiratory system; Studies; Surfactants; Tomography, Emission-Computed; Ventilation; Radionuclide study; Human; Pathophysiology; Respiratory disease; Flux; Case control study; Protein; Newborn; Measurement technique; Respiratory distress; Diagnosis; Positron; Emission tomography
• ISSN: 1359-2998; 1468-2052
• DOI: 10.1136/fn.80.1.F26

AIM To determine whether abnormal transvascular protein flux can be measured with positron emission tomography (PET) in neonates with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). METHODS Fourteen infants with normal gas exchange (non-RDS group) underwent one PET measurement and 12 infants with RDS (the RDS group) underwent two measurements of protein flux, as determined by the pulmonary transcapillary escape rate for68Gallium labelled transferrin (PTCER). RESULTS The mean PTCER for the RDS infants (132 ± 39 10-4/min) was significantly greater than that for infants without RDS (75 ± 27 10-4/min). PTCER did not change between measurements in the infants with RDS, including five who received and responded to surfactant replacement between the two scans. CONCLUSIONS Increased transvascular flux of large molecular weight proteins complicates RDS in preterm infants. PET provides a tool with which to evaluate the processes that contribute to pulmonary dysfunction in neonates.