title: Urinary leukotriene E4 levels in patients with atopic dermatitis.
abstract: Leukotriene synthesis may be increased in a variety of inflammatory diseases. Urinary leukotriene E4 is a stable metabolite of leukotrienes C4 and D4 which has previously been found to be increased in exacerbations of severe asthma and after antigen inhalation. Levels of urinary LTE4 in seven patients during and after a severe flare of atopic dermatitis were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and radioimmunoassay (RIA). Mean urinary LTE4 levels (+/- SEM) were not increased during (16.7 +/- 3.7 pg/mumol) or after (16.9 +/- 4.8 mumol) the acute exacerbation of atopic dermatitis when compared with the normal range (mean = 23.8 [95% confidence interval 19.9-28.2] pg/mumol creatinine). These findings do not provide evidence of cysteine leukotriene involvement in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis.
authors.affiliation: University of Bristol, Department of Dermatology, Bristol Royal Infirmary, UK.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Sansom
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Dollery
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Archer
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000628:therapy / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D017999:Leukotriene E4 / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D017999:Leukotriene E4