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Leukotriene C 4 in Children with Atopic Asthma I. Plasma Levels in Acute Asthma
Author(s) -
Iwasaki Eisaku
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
pediatrics international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.49
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1442-200X
pISSN - 1328-8067
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-200x.1989.tb01304.x
Subject(s) - medicine , asthma , leukotriene , immunology
The leukotrienes C 4 , D 4 and E 4 are potent biologic mediators, and are thought to play an important role in obstructive airways disease such as asthma. In this study, plasma im‐munoreactive LTC 4 (iLTC 4 ) levels in asthmatic children were measured using radio‐immunoassay after Sep‐pak extraction in order to determine whether LTC 4 is released in vivo during an asthmatic attack. In 10 non‐atopic children, the mean ± SEM of plasma iLTC 4 level was 0.031 ± 0.013 pmol/ml. Significantly higher plasma iLTC 4 levels were recognized at all stages in asthmatic children, both in remission (p<0.01) and during an attack (p<0.01). PaO 2 levels during an attack were significantly lower in the high iLTC 4 group. In 15 asthmatic children, the plasma iLTC 4 levels during an attack (0.134 ± 0.017 pmol=ml) significantly decreased during recovery (0.078 ± 0.012 pmol/ml) (p<0.05). Plasma iLTC 4 levels correlated closely with lung function (p<0.01). The high iLTC 4 levels in plasma in asthmatic children suggest a role for LTC 4 in the pathophysiology of asthma.