Elevation of the plasma level of RANTES during asthma attacks.
BACKGROUND
RANTES is considered to play an important role in various immune and allergic disorders since it is a potent chemoattractant for inflammatory cells such as eosinophils, memory T cells, and monocytes.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the possible role of RANTES in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma.


METHODS
The plasma level of RANTES was measured in 12 asthma patients and 15 normal controls by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
In the patients with asthma, the plasma RANTES level was significantly elevated during acute attacks compared to that in the controls. In addition, it was higher than that during the asymptomatic state in the same patients. Plasma beta-thromboglobulin levels were also elevated in asthma patients during acute attacks and showed a correlation with the RANTES level.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest a role for RANTES in the pathogenesis of asthma and a possible role for platelets in RANTES release in asthma.
Chihara
J
J
Department of Clinical and Laboratory Medicine, Akita University School of Medicine, Hondo, Japan.
Yasuba
H
H
Tsuda
A
A
Urayama
O
O
Saito
N
N
Honda
K
K
Kayaba
H
H
Yamashita
T
T
Kurimoto
F
F
Yamada
H
H
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood*; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013224:Status Asthmaticus / Q000378:metabolism; D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin / Q000378:metabolism
D018946:Chemokine CCL5; D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin