title: Increased urinary leukotriene E4 excretion in patients with atopic dermatitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Synthesis of cysteinyl leukotrienes (LTs) is known to play a part in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To define the involvement of cysteinyl LTs in atopic dermatitis (AD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Synthesis of cysteinyl LTs was assessed in patients with AD and healthy volunteers by measuring urinary LTE4, a useful index of systemic cysteinyl LT synthesis, using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean +/- SD urinary LTE4 levels in patients with AD (125 +/- 69 pg mg(-1) creatinine, n = 20) were significantly higher (P < 0.01) than in healthy volunteers (60 +/- 19 pg mg(-1) creatinine, n = 17). A significant correlation between urinary LTE4 and total serum IgE levels in patients with AD was observed (r = 0.643, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings demonstrate an enhanced synthesis of cysteinyl LTs in patients with AD and suggest that cysteinyl LTs are involved in the pathophysiology of AD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University Hospital, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hishinuma
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aiba
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tagami
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizugaki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D017999:Leukotriene E4 / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D017999:Leukotriene E4