title: Changes in the plasma levels of thromboxane B2 and cyclic nucleotides in patients with Takayasu disease.
abstract: Plasma thromboxane B2 (TXB2), cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP levels in 31 women with Takayasu disease were measured and findings were compared with data on 34 age-matched healthy Japanese. Platelet aggregation determined by the screen filtration pressure (SEP) method and pulmonary lesions assessed by scintillation were studied in 21 patients. Plasma TXB2 levels in patients with Takayasu disease were 265.8 +/- 20.4 pg/ml, which were statistically higher than the levels of 196.3 +/- 10.7 in healthy controls. On the contrary, cyclic AMP levels in the patients were 9.6 +/- 0.7 pmols/ml, statistically lower levels than 13.5 +/- 1.0 seen in the healthy controls. A positive correlation among cyclic AMP, cyclic GMP and TXB2 levels was confirmed only in the controls. SEP values in the patients with pulmonary lesions were significantly higher than in those without lesions and also in the controls. A positive correlation was obtained between SEP and TXB2 levels in healthy controls, but not in the patients. Thus, thromboxane A2 may play an important role in the pathology of Takayasu disease.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001015:Aortic Arch Syndromes / Q000097:blood*; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000097:blood*; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010974:Platelet Aggregation; D013625:Takayasu Arteritis / Q000097:blood*; D013929:Thromboxane B2 / Q000097:blood*; D013931:Thromboxanes / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D013931:Thromboxanes; D013929:Thromboxane B2; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D006152:Cyclic GMP