Abstract
It has been reported that KL-6 is a clinically useful marker for various interstitial lung diseases in clinical studies.
KL-6 values in children without respiratory disease is less than 250U/ml.Patients with Severe Motor and Intellectual Disabilities (SMID) have severe lower respiratory infections such as pneumonia. This accounts for more than half the deaths of these children.Children with severe respiratory complications who need respiratory care in SMID have increased.In medical management of SMID, it is very important to care for and treat the respiratory complications.The purpose of the present study was to examine correlations between levels of KL-6 and factors such as tracheostomy, tube feeding, thoracic deformity and locomotor abilities.Some patients with a tracheostomy and chronic respiratory disease showed higher KL-6 levels compared to those with no respiratory disease.
But also those with no chronic respiratory disease and with no tube feeding but a thoracic deformity and pneumonia caused by gastro-esophageal reflux also had high KL-6 levels.Serum KL-6 would provide valuable information on the management of patients in SMID with respiratory complications.
