THE EFFECT OF 3 SURFACTANT PREPARATIONS ON IN-VITRO LYMPHOCYTE FUNCTIONS

Respiratory distress can be successfully treated by endotracheal surfa ctant replacement therapy. The effects of two natural surfactant prepa rations, Alveofact(R) and Survanta(R), and one synthetic, Exosurf(R), on lymphocyte functions were investigated. Peripheral blood lymphocyte s from cord blood or buffy coat from adult healthy donors were stimula ted with mitogens (PHA-P, Con A), allogenic cells (MLC) or antigen (SE B), and the proliferative response was measured by the uptake of triti ated thymidine. Immunoglobulin synthesis was stimulated by PWM and det ermined by an ELISA. Stimulation of lymphocytes in the presence of var iable surfactant concentrations resulted in a concentration dependent suppression of the investigated lymphocyte function, with different re sults for the three products. Complex immunological function such as p roliferation in response to allogenic cells were more sensitive to sur factant induced suppression than mitogen induced proliferation. Thus, it can not be excluded that surfactant replacement therapy may influen ce the local immune response of the lung.