title: Increased leukotriene B4 and interleukin-6 in exhaled breath condensate in cystic fibrosis.
abstract: Chronic neutrophilic airway inflammation is an important feature of cystic fibrosis (CF). Noninvasive inflammatory markers may be useful in monitoring CF. Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and interleukin (IL)-6 are inflammatory mediators that are increased in chronic neutrophilic inflammation. The aim of this study was to assess whether LTB4 and IL-6 were increased in exhaled breath condensate of CF patients and whether they could be used to monitor inflammation. Twenty patients with CF (13 males, age of 28 +/- 9 years) were recruited together with 15 age-matched healthy subjects (8 males, age 35 +/- 7 years). LTB4 and IL-6 levels were markedly elevated in patients with acute exacerbations (28.8 +/- 4.3 and 8.7 +/- 0.4 pg/ml) compared with control subjects (6.8 +/- 0.7 and 2.6 +/- 0.1 pg/ml, p < 0.0001). We also observed a decrease of exhaled LTB4 and IL-6 concentrations after antibiotic treatment in six patients who were followed until clinically stable (31.1 +/- 4.4 and 9.5 +/- 0.4 pg/ml vs. 18.8 +/- 0.8 and 6.4 +/- 0.2 pg/ml, respectively) and an increase in 15 CF patients infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (34.3 +/- 5.0 and 9.3 +/- 0.3 pg/m) compared with those infected with other bacteria (18.3 +/- 0.7 and 6.9 +/- 0.5 pg/ml). These findings suggest that LTB4 and IL-6 levels are increased in exhaled breath condensate of patients with CF during exacerbation and could be used to monitor airway inflammation in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Giovanna E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Carpagnano
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Duncan M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Geddes
authors.forename: Margaret E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hodson
authors.forename: Sergei A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kharitonov
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001944:Breath Tests; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D007975:Leukotriene B4 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D007975:Leukotriene B4; D009569:Nitric Oxide