title: Low levels of eosinophil cationic proteins in patients with asthma.
abstract: Arginine-rich cationic proteins are a major constituent of the granules of eosinophil leucocytes. In healthy individuals, serum levels of cationic proteins were correlated with blood eosinophil-counts. In asthma patients blood eosinophil-counts were raised but serum cationic-protein levels were lower than expected. Some patients with intrinsic asthma had very low cationic-protein levels despite high eosinophilia. A challenge test in one patient caused a striking decrease in serum cationic proteins but no change in eosinophil-count. Assays of serum "eosinophil" cationic proteins may be useful in the differentiation of atopic and intrinsic asthma and may throw light on pathogenesis.
mesh_terms: D001120:Arginine / Q000097:blood; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000032:analysis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D001120:Arginine