Increased urinary leukotriene E4 excretion in patients with atopic dermatitis.
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.
Hishinuma
T
T
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University Hospital, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan.
Suzuki
N
N
Aiba
S
S
Tagami
H
H
Mizugaki
M
M
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
D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D017999:Leukotriene E4