BIOCHEMICAL STUDY OF GROUND SUBSTANCE IN NORMAL AND EMPHYSEMATOUS LUNGS

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Abstract
Lungs from 45 patients, average age 64 years, were obtained at autopsy for biochemical study. Nine of these were control nonemphysematous lungs and 36 were emphysematous. The lungs were further classified as to presence of inflammation or bacteria. In flamination was found in about 50% of all the lungs,both control and emphysematous. About 50% of emphysematous lungs contained bacteria, but bacteria and inflammation were not always present in the same lung. None of the lungs in the control group contained bacteria. The mean value for hyaluronidase in the emphysematous group with inflammation was about 2.5 times greater than that of the control group without inflammation, and the mean value for hyaluronidase in the emphysematous group without inflammation was more than 1.5 times greater than that of the control group without inflammation. The emphysematous groups without inflammation, either with or without bacteria, had mean values for hyaluronidase 1.5 to 2.5 times greater than that of the control group without inflammation. The mean values for hyaluronic acid for the emphysematous groups with or without inflammation were greater than that of the control group without emphysema. The mean values for the collagen concentration in all the emphysematous groups were greater than, and the elastin values were about the same as, that of the control group. The total lung collagen content of the emphysematous lung was greater than, and the elastin content was less than, that of the control group, whereas the mean weight of the lungs of the emphysematous group was less than that of the control group. The apex of the emphysematous lung had greater mean values than the base for all the statistics studied except hyaluronic acid. When inflammation was present these were even greater.