Genetic influences and neonatal lung disease.
Neonatal lung diseases may have a genetic background. The available studies mainly concentrate on surfactant proteins (SP-A, SP-B) and respiratory distress syndrome. Specific alleles of the SP-A and SP-B genes associate interactively with susceptibility to respiratory distress syndrome. This genetic impact on the condition is influenced by environmental, acquired and inherited factors. Other alleles and genotypes of SP-A and SP-D associate with severe respiratory infections in early infancy. Rare mutations causing an absence of the SP-B protein result in progressive respiratory failure. Dominant mutations of SP-C associate with chronic lung disease, with variable manifestations. The first steps towards unraveling the genetic network influencing the susceptibility to neonatal lung diseases are now being taken. Genes encoding multifunctional proteins in the distal lung are prime candidates for causing susceptibility to neonatal lung disease, including bronchopulmonary dysplasia.[1]References
- Genetic influences and neonatal lung disease. Hallman, M., Haataja, R. Seminars in neonatology : SN. (2003) [Pubmed]
Annotations and hyperlinks in this abstract are from individual authors of WikiGenes or automatically generated by the WikiGenes Data Mining Engine. The abstract is from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.About WikiGenesOpen Access LicencePrivacy PolicyTerms of Useapsburg