Serum KL-6 in normal neonates and children without respiratory disease.

Serum KL‐6 level in newborns with meconium aspiration syndrome

“…The optimal criteria of serum KL‐6 that differentiates patients with pneumonitis from those without pneumonitis, have not been clearly established in neonates. The present study demonstrated that the normal KL‐6 level is 134 ± 71 U/mL, which is comparable with previous studies assessing KL‐6 levels in neonates without disease 9,10 .…”

“…It has been reported that KL‐6 levels are higher in adults than in neonates and children, and also that KL‐6 levels in neonates are significantly lower than those in children 10 . Several studies have demonstrated that serum KL‐6 levels in healthy adults are less than 500 U/mL 4,11 .…”

Normal values for KL‐6 in cord venous plasma of neonates

“…We, therefore, established normal values for KL‐6 in cord plasma based on data from all 75 neonates. Cord plasma KL‐6 levels in premature infants and term infants were about half the normal values reported in adults 7 and children 8 (Table 2). These findings suggest that plasma KL‐6 levels rise when respiratory function is established after birth and tend to further increase with age.…”