Leukotrienes and 8-isoprostane in exhaled breath condensate of children with stable and unstable asthma.
BACKGROUND
Cysteinyl-leukotrienes (cys-LTs) and 8-isoprostane are biomarkers of airway inflammation and oxidative stress.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate cys-LT and 8-isoprostane levels in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) of children with different degrees of asthma severity.


METHODS
EBC was collected from 14 steroid-naive children with mild persistent asthma, 13 children with stable mild- to-moderate persistent asthma treated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), 9 ICS-treated children with unstable asthma, and 19 healthy children.


RESULTS
In the three groups of asthmatic children, EBC concentrations of cys-LTs and 8-isoprostane were significantly higher than in control children (steroid-naive asthmatic children: cys-LTs median, 10.8 pg/mL, P <.001, 8-isoprostane, 16.2 pg/mL, P <.001; ICS-treated stable asthmatic children: cys-LTs, 12.7 pg/mL, P <.001, 8-isoprostane, 18.1 pg/mL, P <.001; children with unstable asthma: cys-LTs, 106.0 pg/mL, P <.01, 8-isoprostane, 29.7 pg/mL, P <.01; control children: cys-LTs, 4.3 pg/mL, 8-isoprostane, 3.5 pg/mL). Cys-LT levels were higher in children with unstable asthma than in the other two asthmatic groups (P <.05). FE(NO) levels were significantly higher in steroid-naive and in children with unstable asthma compared with ICS-treated children with stable asthma (P <.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Our study shows that EBC cys-LTs and 8-isoprostane concentrations are higher in asthmatic children than in healthy control children, with scattered values in patients with unstable asthma. These findings suggest that EBC eicosanoid measurement may have useful clinical implications for investigating phenotype differences among asthmatic patients.
Zanconato
Stefania
S
Department of Pediatrics, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Carraro
Silvia
S
Corradi
Massimo
M
Alinovi
Rossella
R
Pasquale
Maria Francesca
MF
Piacentini
Giorgio
G
Zacchello
Franco
F
Baraldi
Eugenio
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000730:Androstadienes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D001944:Breath Tests; D019819:Budesonide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D003545:Cysteine / Q000378:metabolism*; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D028441:F2-Isoprostanes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D000068298:Fluticasone; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D015289:Leukotrienes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D000730:Androstadienes; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D028441:F2-Isoprostanes; D015289:Leukotrienes; C112381:cysteinyl-leukotriene; C075750:8-epi-prostaglandin F2alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019819:Budesonide; D015237:Dinoprost; D000068298:Fluticasone; D003545:Cysteine