Hyaluronan in the Human Neonatal Lung: Association with Gestational Age and Other Perinatal Factors

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of gestational age at birth, postnatal age, specific complications and methods of treatment on the lung hyaluronan concentration in infants. Lung samples and clinical records from 117 infants who died 0–228 days (32 weeks) after preterm or term birth were studied. The lung hyaluronan concentration at death was most strongly associated with the gestational age at birth, an association best described by an exponential function with a negative power coefficient. After adjustments for gestational age, the lung hyaluronan concentration also correlated significantly with birth weight, weight at death, the wet-to-dry lung weight ratio and specific staining for hyaluronan in the pleura. Intrauterine infection was also associated with a significantly higher lung hyaluronan concentration.

CPAP-induced airway hyper-reactivity in mice is modulated by hyaluronan synthase-3

“…Increased ASM and metabolic activity of immature lungs stimulated by stretch 39 would be consistent with accelerated lung growth 32 , 40 as well as exaggerated and sustained changes in ASM structure/function leading to thicker, more reactive airways, potentially manifesting as wheezing/asthma later in life. Preterm infants that died within 32 weeks of birth exhibited significantly higher pleural HA expression, which was even higher in infants exposed to intrauterine infection 23 . Increased HA levels were associated with respiratory distress severity in a preterm primate model 25 .…”

“…Less is known regarding HA in the developing lung. Preterm infants who died within 8 months of birth exhibited significantly higher pleural HA expression, with even higher expression in infants exposed to intrauterine infection 23 . In premature rabbits, hyperoxia increases lung HA expression 24 , and in premature primates, increased lung HA deposition was associated with severity of respiratory distress and duration of mechanical ventilation 25 .…”

Collagen type IV alpha 1 chain (COL4A1) expression in the developing human lung

“…Autopsy was performed within 48 h of death. The same tissue collection has been described and investigated in three previous studies to determine the HA content [ 24 ] and RHAMM [ 25 ] and CD44 expression [ 26 ] of the lungs. Lung tissue from three adults were used as positive controls (informed written consent obtained before death).…”