Mutations in the ABCA3 gene are an important genetic cause for respiratory distress syndrome in neonates and interstitial lung disease in children and adults, for which there is currently no cure.
Our objective was to functionally characterize two ABCA3 mutations (p.R288K and p.R1474W) identified among term and late-preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome with unclear pathogenicity in a genetically versatile model system.
Term infants carrying the E292V missense mutation of the gene encoding ABCA3 are likely to develop respiratory distress syndrome, and the mutation has also been linked to interstitial lung disease in paediatric patients.
The results are suggestive of an association of a synonymous SNP in the ABCA3 gene with a prolonged course of respiratory distress syndrome in very premature infants and serve as a reference for further population-based studies of ABCA3.
Our data provide evidence that ABCA3 mutations are associated not only with a deficiency of ABCA3 but also with an abnormal processing and routing of SP-B and SP-C, leading to severe alterations of surfactant homeostasis and respiratory distress syndrome.
Our data provide evidence that ABCA3 mutations are associated not only with a deficiency of ABCA3 but also with an abnormal processing and routing of SP-B and SP-C, leading to severe alterations of surfactant homeostasis and respiratory distress syndrome.
Surfaxin (lucinactant), a peptide-based surfactant consisting of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) plus KL(4) (sinapultide) (a synthetic peptide modeled after human surfactant protein-B), is effective in treating respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants.
Surfactant replacement therapy with bovine and porcine lung surfactant extracts, which contain only polar lipids and SP-B and SP-C, has revolutionized the clinical management of premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome.