title: Measurement of inflammatory mediators of eosinophils and lymphocytes in blood in acute asthma: serum levels of ECP influence the bronchodilator response.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the relevance of immunoinflammatory markers on the response to short acting beta(2)-agonist in acute asthma exacerbation. Thus, we measured serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) levels and sIL-2R at acute exacerbation in 52 adult patients with atopic asthma, and assessed forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) before and after the administration of aerosolized salbutamol. After a cumulative dose of salbutamol causing a 10% improvement in FEV(1) from baseline [CD10, i.e. cumulative doses of salbutamol (800 microg) causing an improvement in FEV(1) from baseline to 10%] the patients were divided into two groups: group A with CD <10 and group B with CD >10. The bronchodilator response, as defined by a DeltaFEV(1) (percentage of predictive value of FEV(1)) of > or =10 predictive value, was shown by 40% of the patients. After 200, 400 and 800 microg of salbutamol, significant differences of FEV(1) with respect to baseline values were, respectively, p = 0.049, 0.0039 and 0.0014. In contrast, no significant difference of the means of FEV(1) between the doses of salbutamol was observed. Significant differences of DeltaFEV(1) between 200 and 400 microg (p = 0.0002) and between 200 and 800 microg (p < 0.0001) were observed, but not between 400 and 800 microg of salbutamol. There were significant correlations between baseline values of predictive FEV(1) and serum ECP levels (rho = -0.60, p < 0.0001) and sIL-2R levels (rho = -0.35, p = 0.01) respectively. Besides, a correlation between DeltaFEV(1) and serum ECP levels (rho = -0.53, p < 0.0001) was observed, whereas no correlation was found between DeltaFEV(1) and sIL-2R. By analyzing differences between the two groups (A and B) for serum ECP levels, sIL-2R and blood eosinophil count, a significant difference was found for serum ECP levels. We conclude that subjects with acute exacerbation of asthma show high serum levels of ECP and sIL-2R and, more interestingly, that the response to brochodilator was higher in patients with lower serum ECP levels.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e delle Patologie Emergenti, Dipartimento di Biopatologia e Metodologie Biomediche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via del Vespro 141, I-90127 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Lorenzo
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Pacor
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morici
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Drago
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esposito-Pellitteri
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Candore
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lo Bianco
authors.forename: Calogero
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caruso
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000420:Albuterol / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D012260:Ribonucleases; D012882:Skin Tests; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D001798:Blood Proteins; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D012260:Ribonucleases; D000420:Albuterol