HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Permissions Request Permissions Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (10) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Currie, A.E. Articles by Kotecha, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Currie, A.E. Articles by Kotecha, S.

Epidermal growth factor in the lungs of infants developing chronic lung disease

Dept of Child Health, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

CORRESPONDENCE: S. Kotecha, Dept of Child Health, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE2 7LX, UK. Fax: 44 1162523282/2585502

Keywords: bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, chronic lung disease of prematurity, epidermal growth factor, growth factors, vascular endothelial growth factor

Received: October 9, 2000
Accepted July 5, 2001

This study was funded in part by Action research and the British Lung Foundation.

Growth factors important to lung growth and fibrosis have been poorly studied in chronic lung disease (CLD) of prematurity. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) promotes epithelial cell maturation, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is important in angiogenesis.

The concentration of these growth factors was determined in 111 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples from 35 ventilated infants: 13 developed CLD (median gestation 27 weeks, birthweight 820 g), 16 developed and recovered from respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) (31 weeks, 1,415 g) and six control infants (33 weeks, 2,075 g) were ventilated for nonpulmonary reasons.

At birth, EGF in BALF from the CLD and RDS infants was lower than in the control infants (control versus CLD, 7.3 versus 0.0 pg·mL^–1, p<0.01; control versus RDS, 7.3 versus 5.0, p=0.08). EGF increased in all groups with a more rapid increase in control infants. A close relationship was noted between BALF EGF and gestational age (R=0.73). VEGF was undetectable at birth but increased at a similar rate in all three groups and did not correlate with gestation.

In conclusion, these data suggest that epidermal growth factor is closely correlated to gestation and that it may predispose preterm infants to develop chronic lung disease.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. E. De Paepe, C. Patel, A. Tsai, S. Gundavarapu, and Q. Mao Endoglin (CD105) Up-regulation in Pulmonary Microvasculature of Ventilated Preterm Infants Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., July 15, 2008; 178(2): 180 - 187. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Purevdorj, K. Zscheppang, H. G. Hoymann, A. Braun, D. von Mayersbach, M.-J. Brinkhaus, A. Schmiedl, and C. E. L. Dammann ErbB4 deletion leads to changes in lung function and structure similar to bronchopulmonary dysplasia Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, March 1, 2008; 294(3): L516 - L522. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. E. De Paepe, Q. Mao, J. Powell, S. E. Rubin, P. DeKoninck, N. Appel, M. Dixon, and F. Gundogan Growth of Pulmonary Microvasculature in Ventilated Preterm Infants Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., January 15, 2006; 173(2): 204 - 211. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I A Fedorov, S J Wilson, D E Davies, and S T Holgate Epithelial stress and structural remodelling in childhood asthma Thorax, May 1, 2005; 60(5): 389 - 394. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A E Currie, M Kelly, J R Vyas, H Pandya, D Field, and S Kotecha Fibroblast mitogenic activity of lung lavage fluid from infants with chronic lung disease of prematurity Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed., May 1, 2002; 86(3): F193 - F197. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]