title: Serum level of substance P in patients with lung injuries due to sulfur mustard.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic bronchiolitis is the most important problems of chemical victims of mustard gas. Diverse studies suggest that substance P (SP) as a member of tachykinin neuropeptides, has a significant role in the neurogenic inflammation processes of the airways and lungs. We aimed to determine the serum level of SP in chemical victims of mustard gas and compare it with normal subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  The chemical victims were divided into the 2 groups of 30:A group with mild to moderate pulmonary symptoms and other group with moderate to severe symptoms and compared with 3(rd) group as healthy controls. After preparing our samples and using the SP kit, final analysis was performed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay reader.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Concentration of circulatory SP levels in the chemical patients was 2.86 ± 1.47 ng/ml and had not a significant difference with the control group (3.15 ± 1.03 ng/ml) (P > 0.05). The circulatory SP levels were 2.48 ± 0.92 ng/ml and 3.28 ± 1.73 ng/ml in patients with moderate to severe symptoms and mild to moderates (P < 0.05) respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SP may have a role in pulmonary complications of mustard gas. The lower level of SP in the moderate to severe patients may be due to corticosteroid consumption in such severe cases. However, further studies are needed to clarify the roles and mechanism of SP in this setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Islamic Azad University, Pharmaceutical Science Branch, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Bita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Najafian
authors.affiliation: Chemical Injuries Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shohrati
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali Amini
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Harandi
authors.affiliation: Islamic Azad University, Pharmaceutical Science Branch, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shiva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahyar
authors.affiliation: Chemical Injuries Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Isa
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Khaheshi
authors.affiliation: Chemical Injuries Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghanei
keywords: Lung injuries; substance P; sulfur mustard