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Published on: March 6, 2019
Serum KL-6 and surfactant proteins A and D in pediatric interstitial lung disease
Qasem A Al-Salmi1, Joseph N Walter, Giuseppe N Colasurdo
1Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Insights
Serum KL-6, surfactant protein A (SP-A), and surfactant protein D (SP-D) are elevated in children with interstitial lung disease (ILD). SP-A and SP-D levels correlate with ILD severity, indicating their potential as biomarkers.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Biomarkers
- Interstitial Lung Disease
Background:
- Interstitial lung disease (ILD) in children is challenging to diagnose and monitor.
- Identifying reliable biomarkers is crucial for assessing disease activity and progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate elevated serum levels of KL-6, SP-A, and SP-D in pediatric ILD.
- To determine the association of these biomarkers with pulmonary function and disease severity.
Main Methods:
- Serum samples from 10 children with ILD and 10 healthy controls were analyzed using ELISA.
- Pulmonary function tests (FEV1, FVC) and ILD severity scores were assessed in the ILD group.
- Correlations between biomarker levels and clinical parameters were calculated.
Main Results:
- Significantly elevated serum levels of KL-6, SP-A, and SP-D were observed in children with ILD compared to controls (p < 0.01 for all).
- Inverse correlations were found between SP-A and FVC (p = 0.05), and SP-D and FEV1 (p = 0.05).
- A direct correlation was identified between SP-D and ILD severity score (p = 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Serum KL-6, SP-A, and SP-D are elevated in pediatric ILD.
- SP-A and SP-D show potential as biomarkers for assessing disease severity in children with ILD.
Objective:
To determine if serum KL-6, surfactant protein A (SP-A), and surfactant protein D (SP-D) levels are elevated in pediatric interstitial lung disease (ILD) and associated with pulmonary function and disease severity score.
Methods:
Serum KL-6, SP-A, and SP-D levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 10 children with ILD and in 10 healthy volunteers. In the ILD group, FEV1 percentage of predicted, FVC percentage of predicted, and ILD disease severity score were measured and correlated with serum KL-6, SP-A, and SP-D levels.
Results:
For the ILD and control groups, respectively, mean serum KL-6 was 4,523 U/mL and 206 U/mL (p = 0.007), mean serum SP-A was 133 ng/mL and 21 ng/mL (p = 0.003), and mean serum SP-D was 304 ng/mL and 75 ng/mL (p = 0.004). There was an inverse relationship between SP-A and FVC (p = 0.05), and between SP-D and FEV1 (p = 0.05). There was a direct relationship between SP-D and ILD score (p = 0.05).
Conclusions:
Serum KL-6, SP-D and SP-D levels are elevated in children with ILD. SP-A and SP-D levels appear to correlate with some measures of disease severity.

