Plasma Proteins in Hyaline Membranes

Hyaline membrane disease of the newborn has been a subject of ever-growing interest to paediatricians and pathologists as it is the major cause of death in newborn babies, particularly premature ones. Much more is known of the clinical picture and physiological changes in hyaline membrane disease, or respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn (Avery, 1962; Curtis, 1957; James, 1959; Miller, 1962; Rudolph and Smith, 1960), and there is a fair knowledge of the composition of the hyaline membrane (Buckingham and Sommers, 1960). There is, however, no agreement as to its aetiology and pathogenesis, though, according to the majority of investigators, the material constituting the membrane originates from the pulmonary vessels. These authors base their assumptions mainly on the work of Gitlin and Craig, who by means of immunofluorescence detected the presence of fibrin within the hyaline membranes (Gitlin and Craig, 1956). Electron microscope investigations suggest the presence of other plasma proteins as well (van Breemen, Neustein and Bruns, 1957; Campiche, Prod' hom and Gautier, 1961; Campiche, Jaccottet and Juillard, 1962; Groniowski and Biczyskowa, 1963), but this has not, however, been confirmed by Gitlin and Craig. Histochemical investigations have not established whether there are any other plasma proteins in the membrane (Aronson, 1961; Buckingham and Sommers, 1960; Duran-Jorda, Holzel and Patterson, 1956; Lieberman, 1961; Lynch and Mellor, 1956; Lynch, Mellor and Badgery, 1956). Differences of opinion as to the exact plasma protein composition of hyaline membranes stimulated us to undertake further investigations on their structure.