Anti-IL-8 antibody potentiates the effect of exogenous surfactant in respiratory failure caused by meconium aspiration.

Aim: Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) is life-threatening respiratory failure of newborns which can be treated by exogenous surfactant. In response to meconium, increased levels of chemokine IL-8 (CXCL8) stimulate massive neutrophil infiltration of the lungs. Local accumulation and activation of neutrophils, on-going inflammation, lung edema, and oxidative damage contribute to inactivation of endogenous and therapeutically given surfactants. Therefore, we have hypothesized that addition of monoclonal anti-IL-8 antibody into exogenous surfactant can mitigate the neutrophil-induced local injury and the secondary surfactant inactivation and may finally result in improvement of respiratory functions.

Methods: New Zealand rabbits with intratracheal meconium-induced respiratory failure (meconium 25 mg/ml, 4 ml/kg) were divided into three groups: untreated (M), surfactant-treated (M + S), and treated with combination of surfactant and anti-IL-8 antibody (M + S + anti-IL-8). Surfactant therapy consisted of two lung lavages with diluted porcine surfactant Curosurf (10 ml/kg, 5 mg phospholipids (PL)/ml) followed by undiluted Curosurf (100 mg PL/kg) delivered by means of asymmetric high-frequency jet ventilation (f. 300/min, Ti 20%). In M + S + anti-IL-8 group, anti-IL-8 antibody (100 µg/kg) was added directly to Curosurf dose. Animals were oxygen-ventilated for additional 5 h, respiratory parameters were measured regularly. Subsequently, cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL), lung edema formation, oxidative damage, levels of interleukins (IL)-1β and IL-6 in the lung homogenate were evaluated.

Results: Surfactant instillation significantly improved lung function. Addition of anti-IL-8 to surfactant further improved gas exchange and ventilation efficiency and had longer-lasting effect than surfactant-only therapy. Combined treatment showed the trend to reduce neutrophil count in BAL fluid, local oxidative damage, and levels of IL-1β and IL-6 more effectively than surfactant-alone, however, these differences were not significant.

Conclusion: Addition of anti-IL-8 antibody to surfactant could potentiate the efficacy of Curosurf on the gas exchange in experimental model of MAS.