title: Time-course study of the levels of urinary leukotriene E4, serum thromboxane B2 and serum eosinophil cationic protein in spontaneous asthma attacks in five children.
abstract: Leukotrienes thromboxanes, and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) are chemical mediators involved in airway inflammation. We investigated time courses of urinary leukotriene E4 (LTE4), serum thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and serum ECP, together with blood eosinophil count during asthmatic attacks in five children. Just after the onset of an asthma attack, urinary LTE4 levels reflected the severity of the attack and decreased during the course of clinical improvement with various therapies; however, they did not change in the course of an attack in one of five patients. The other parameters showed less or no significant relation to clinical severity and improvements. Since LTE4 is a stable product from total cysteinyl leukotrienes, it appears to be one of important mediators in most asthma attacks in children. This study suggests that LTE4 is a useful marker for monitoring severity and improvement of spontaneous attacks of asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Gifu University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Teramoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Utsumi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kondo
mesh_terms: D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D017999:Leukotriene E4 / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D012260:Ribonucleases; D013929:Thromboxane B2 / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001798:Blood Proteins; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D013929:Thromboxane B2; D017999:Leukotriene E4; D012260:Ribonucleases