Nasal blockage and urinary leukotriene E4 concentration in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis.
BACKGROUND
Cysteinyl-leukotrienes have been reported to have a primary role in the induction of nasal blockage of allergic rhinitis. However, there has been little experimental evidence that substantiates the relationship between nasal blockage severity and urinary leukotriene E4 (U-LTE4) concentration in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR).


METHODS
The concentrations of urinary mediators in 20 SAR patients were measured using an enzyme immunoassay to determine the relationship between nasal blockage severity and U-LTE4 concentration in patients with SAR.


RESULTS
The basal U-LTE4 concentration was significantly higher in SAR patients with severe nasal blockage than in those with mild nasal blockage and in healthy control subjects. Although U-LTE4 concentrationwas significantly higher in patients with both asthma and SAR than in SAR patients with mild nasal blockage, no significant difference in the U-LTE4 concentration between patients with both asthma and SAR and SAR patients with severe nasal blockage was found. There was a significant correlation between U-LTE4 and urinary 9alpha11beta-prostoglandin F2 (9alpha11betaPGF2) concentrations (rs = 0.51, P = 0.02) in SAR patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Although specific sites and cells of cysteinyl-leukotriene biosynthesis could not be determined in this study, severe nasal blockage is associated with the increased excretion level of U-LTE4.
Higashi
N
N
Clinical Research Center, National Sagamihara Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan.
Taniguchi
M
M
Mita
H
H
Ishii
T
T
Akiyama
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000652:urine*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000652:urine; D047208:Eosinophil-Derived Neurotoxin; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D017999:Leukotriene E4 / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009296:Nasal Cavity; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000652:urine; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000652:urine; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D017999:Leukotriene E4; D015237:Dinoprost; D047208:Eosinophil-Derived Neurotoxin; D012260:Ribonucleases