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Fibroblast mitogenic activity of lung lavage fluid from infants with chronic lung disease of prematurity

Department of Child Health, University of Leicester, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Kotecha, Department of Child Health, University of Leicester, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK;
sk43{at}le.ac.uk

Background: Lung fibrosis is thought to be important in chronic lung disease of prematurity (CLD).

Methods: Fibroblast proliferative activity was assessed in 207 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples from 43 infants. Sixteen developed CLD (birth weight 765 g (630–1230), gestation 26.5 weeks (23–29)), 18 developed respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) (birth weight 1415 g (430–4160), gestation 31 weeks (23–39)), and nine control infants (birth weight 2110 g (900–3720), gestation 32 weeks (26–41)) received mechanical ventilation for non-pulmonary reasons.

Results: The fibroblast proliferative activity relative to 10% fetal calf serum was 64–75% in infants with CLD, 55–86% in the RDS group, and 42–68% in control infants during the first 5 weeks of life. Only at day 3 was there a difference between the groups (CLD 72% v control 42%, p < 0.01; RDS 63% v control 42%, p < 0.05). With the use of neutralising antibodies, platelet derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) and epidermal growth factor were undetectable, and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) accounted for 14% (p < 0.05) and 11% (p < 0.005) of BALF mitogenic activity from the RDS and CLD groups respectively.

Conclusions: The mitogenic activity of BALF was similar in the three groups studied and was only partially accounted for by IGF-I. Growth factors other than PDGF-BB and IGF-I contribute significantly to this process.

Keywords: chronic lung disease of prematurity; bronchopulmonary dysplasia; growth factors; fibroblasts

Abbreviations: CLD, chronic lung disease of prematurity; RDS, respiratory distress syndrome; TGF, transforming growth factor; BAL, bronchoalveolar lavage; BALF, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; PDGF-BB, platelet derived growth factor B; IGF-I, insulin-like growth factor I; FCS, fetal calf serum; FGM, fibroblast growth medium; EGF, epidermal growth factor

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