ELEVATED PLASMA-LEVEL OF LEUKOTRIENES IN BRONCHIAL-ASTHMA PATIENTS - A POSSIBLE CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Plasma from bronchial asthma patients and healthy controls was investigated for the content of lipoxygenase products. After lipid extraction using SEP-PAK C-18 Cartridges, the lipoxygenase products were measured by Enzyme-Immunoassay. Elevated chemotactic B-4 was found in plasma from asthmatic patients with mean value (483+/-75) pmol/L, while the mean value in normal healthy donors was (140+/-12.1) pmol/L (M+/-SE). The levels of spasmogenic cysteinyl containing leukotrienes were also very high in the bronchial asthma patients. Elevations of leukotriene B-4 and cysteinyl containing leukotrienes were detected during attacks of bronchial asthma. These results suggest that leukotriene B-4 may be important in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma and confirmed that peptidoleukotrienes play a role as chemical mediators during the asthmatic attack.