title: Endogenous heparin levels in the controlled asthmatic patient.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since heparin possesses anti-inflammatory properties, it is hypothesised that asthmatic patients have decreased levels of circulating heparin compared with healthy individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared endogenous heparin levels in controlled asthmatic patients (53 adults) from the Asthma Clinic at Johannesburg General Hospital with those of healthy controls (26 adults) from the general population. Heparin levels in the blood samples were tested using the Chromogenix Coatest Heparin kit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The blood of the patients contained significantly lower levels of endogenous heparin compared with that of the healthy individuals, indicating that the anti-inflammatory properties afforded by heparin are absent in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
authors.forename: Hajierah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Davids
authors.forename: Ayesha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Ari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oberholster
authors.forename: Christo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van der Westhuizen
authors.forename: Mervyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mer
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Havlik
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006493:Heparin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D006493:Heparin