Enhanced synthesis of cysteinyl leukotrienes in atopic dermatitis.
Synthesis of cysteinyl leukotrienes was assessed in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD; n = 8) and healthy volunteers (n = 8) by measuring urinary excretion of leukotriene E4 (LTE4), the main index metabolite of cysteinyl leukotrienes in man. Using this non-invasive method we demonstrated a significant (P < 0.05) 4.5-fold increase in excretion of LTE4 compared with healthy volunteers. The identity of LTE4 was unequivocally demonstrated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). LTE4 was routinely measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA), and quantitative measurement of LTE4 by RIA was validated by GC-MS/MS. There was a linear correlation between LTE4 measured by RIA and by GC-MS/MS (r = 0.994). In representative samples, LTE4 was also quantitatively assessed by GC-MS/MS. In these samples, LTE4 values obtained by GC-MS/MS differed < 10% from those obtained by RIA. The present findings suggest that cysteinyl leukotrienes play a role in AD.
Fauler
J
J
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Hanover Medical School, Germany.
Neumann
C
C
Tsikas
D
D
Frölich
J
J
D000328:Adult; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D017999:Leukotriene E4; D015289:Leukotrienes / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013189:SRS-A / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000652:urine
D015289:Leukotrienes; D013189:SRS-A; D017999:Leukotriene E4