Eotaxin in induced sputum of asthmatics: relationship with eosinophils and eosinophil cationic protein in sputum.
BACKGROUND
Eosinophilic inflammation is a crucial aspect of allergic diseases such as bronchial asthma. An eosinophil-active chemokine, eotaxin, may play a role in the pathogenesis of the tissue eosinophilia accompanying asthma.


METHODS
Induced sputa were obtained from 53 patients with atopic asthma and six healthy subjects, and the concentration of eotaxin in the sputum was measured by ELISA. We investigated whether the sputum content of eotaxin is related to 1) asthma status or corticosteroid therapy, and 2) other sputum indices, including percentage of eosinophils and concentration of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP).


RESULTS
The patients with stable or unstable asthma showed significantly higher concentrations of sputum eotaxin than the normal controls. The level of sputum eotaxin demonstrated a positive correlation with the percentage of eosinophils in stable asthmatics not receiving corticosteroid therapy, but not in stable patients treated with corticosteroids, or in unstable patients. Sputum eotaxin demonstrated a positive correlation with ECP in asthmatic patients who were either in a stable state or not receiving steroid therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
The elevated level of eotaxin detected in association with increased eosinophils and ECP in the sputum of asthmatics suggests that eotaxin is involved in the pathogenesis of eosinophilic airway inflammation. The relationship of eotaxin to airway eosinophilia may be modified by the stability status of asthma and corticosteroid therapy.
Yamada
H
H
Department of Allergy and Rheumatology, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
Yamaguchi
M
M
Yamamoto
K
K
Nakajima
T
T
Hirai
K
K
Morita
Y
Y
Sano
Y
Y
Yamada
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D054413:Chemokine CCL11; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D002631:Chemotactic Factors, Eosinophil / Q000378:metabolism*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D004804:Eosinophils; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012260:Ribonucleases; D013183:Sputum / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
D001798:Blood Proteins; C515456:CCL11 protein, human; D054413:Chemokine CCL11; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D002631:Chemotactic Factors, Eosinophil; D016207:Cytokines; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D012260:Ribonucleases