Alterations in von Willebrand Factor Antigen in Premature Infants with Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Chronic Lung Disease*

Elevated levels of von W illebrand Factor Antigen (vWF:Ag) may occur in the presence of endothelial injury, a component in the pathology of acute pulmonary insufficiency. The vWF:Ag levels were examined in 13 well infants (controls) and 20 infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), nine of whom developed bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). All infants were very low birth weight (730 to 1500 g) and prem ature (25 to 34 weeks estimated gestational age). Plasma samples were obtained at birth and weekly through 28 days of age and frozen at — 70°C. The vWF:Ag was quantified by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) m ethod for 138 plasma specimens; in addition, 77 samples were analyzed for multi-m er pattern by SDS-agarose (1.7 percent) electrophoresis and densito-metric scanning. All groups had elevated mean levels of vWF:Ag, compared to adults. Although levels rem ained stable over the four week period, the group o