title: [The change of plasma level of endothelin in patients with acute attack of asthma].
abstract: In order to assess the interaction of endothelin (ET) and acute attack of asthma, the plasma levels of ET in 23 patients with acute attack of asthma and 12 normal controls were measured by radioimmunoassay. The partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2) and peak flow (PEF) were measured synchronously. The results showed that the plasma ET level in asthmatic patients (89.2 +/- 8.4 ng/L) was much higher than that in normal controls (52.2 +/- 6.5 ng/L), P < 0.001. There was a significant negative correlation between the plasma level of ET and the PaO2 (r = -0.7893, P < 0.01) or PEF (r = -0.7124, P < 0.01). The results suggest that ET may play a role in acute attack of asthma, and its level may stand for the degree of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, Chengdu.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D016232:Endothelins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate
chemical_list: D016232:Endothelins; D010100:Oxygen