Lecithin is also known as phosphatidylcholine. Most lecithin (about 85%) is disaturated with saturated fatty acids as disaturated phosphatidylcholine, or DSPC. DSPC is the primary surface active agent in pulmonary surfactant.
Specimen: Amniotic fluid, protected from light
Testing: Thin layer chromatography, with quantitation done by comparison with standards of known concentration.
Interpretation:
• DSPC > 500 µg/dL: mature
Performance:
• The diagnostic accuracy is comparable to L/S ratio.
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