title: Relevance of serum ECP measurements for monitoring acute asthma in children.
abstract: To evaluate the role of serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) concentration as a monitoring parameter in acute bronchial asthma, 11 children (mean age 10.2 years) were studied during an acute exacerbation of their disease. Under an appropriate anti-inflammatory therapy, FEV1 increased significantly at day 1 (p < 0.05), day 14 (p < 0.05), day 28 (p < 0.03), and day 56 (p < 0.03) compared to baseline values at referral to hospital. Serum ECP concentration decreased in the group of patients significantly at day 28 (p < 0.02) and day 56 (p < 0.04). However, considering the individual serum ECP time courses, most of the patients did not show a uniform pattern of continuously decreasing values. From our data, we conclude that measuring serum ECP concentration during acute asthma episodes in children may play a role in some patients, whereas in others--probably those without acute eosinophil inflammation--monitoring by serum ECP concentration is of limited value.
authors.affiliation: University Children's Hospital, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Niggemann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ertel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanner
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wahn
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012260:Ribonucleases; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D012260:Ribonucleases