THE ROLE OF PLASMA ARACHIDONIC-ACID METABOLITES IN THE PATHOGENESIS AND THE PROGNOSIS OF HENOCH-SCHONLEIN PURPURA

Henoch-Schonlein Purpura (HSP) involve small vessel inflammation. Arac hidonate biochemical pathways play an important role in the pathogenes is of vascular inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the change in the ratio of plasma arachidonic acid metabolites in the patients with HSP and evaluate the association between clinical activi ty and prostanoid activity in the acute phase of HSP. Plasma prostagla ndin E(2) (PGE(2))-like activities were found to be 7.2 +/- 0.8 ng/ml in control group (n=12) while it was 5.3 +/- 0.6 ng/ml in the patients with HSP (n=12). Plasma leukotriene C-4 (LTC(4))-like activities were found to be 16.0 +/- 1.1 ng/ml in control while it was 30.9 +/- 4.3 n g/ml in the patients. The differences of LTC(4)-like activities and th e LTC(4)/PGE(2) ratios between the HSP patients and the controls were significant (p<0.01, p<0.001 respectively), but no significant differe nce was found in PGE(2)-like activities. Plasma LTC(4)-like activity a nd LTC(4)/PGE(2) ratio were also significantly increased in the patien ts with high clinical score (p<0.05, p<0.02 respectively). These resul ts suggested that not only cyclooxygenase products but also LTs may pl ay an important role in vascular inflammation. Therefore LTC(4)/PGE(2) ratio must be taken into consideration in the pathogenesis and the pr ognosis of HSP.