INCREASED IN-VITRO CYSTEINYL LEUKOTRIENE RELEASE FROM BLOOD LEUKOCYTES IN PATIENTS WITH ASTHMA, NASAL POLYPS, AND ASPIRIN INTOLERANCE

In vitro cysteinyl leukotriene (cLT) release from blood leukocytes was measured in eight normal individuals (NI), nine patients with nasal p olyps CNP) without aspirin intolerance, and eight patients with NP. as thma, and aspirin intolerance CAI), Blood leukocytes were prestimulate d with interleukin-3 (IL-3) and incubated with acetylsalicylic acid (A SA) (10 and 100 mu g/ml) together with C5a (10(-8) mol/l) for 18 h, cL T release (LTC(4), LTD(4) and LTE(4)) from blood leukocytes was measur ed with a competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay. Background cLT releas e was 259+/-66 pg/ml (mean+/-SEM) in the NI group, 185+/-33 pg/ml in t he NP group, and 578+/-136 pg/ml in the AI group (P=0.1). After incuba tion with 10 mu g/ml ASA, cLT concentration was lower in normal subjec ts (346+/-72 pg/ml) and in patients with NP (209+/-53) than in patient s with AI (686+/-75 pg/ml, P=0.002). After incubation with 100 mu g/ml ASA, cLT concentrations were 285+/-72 pg/ml in the NI group, 313+/-77 pg/ml in the NP group, and 654+/-121 pg/ml in the AI group (P=0.04), respectively., Simultaneous incubation with ASA 10 mu g/ml and C5a (10 (-8)mol/l resulted in a cLT concentration of 751+/-171 pg/ml in the NI group, 343+/-102 pg/ml in the NP group, and 2196+/-480 pg/ml in patie nts with AI (P=0.0006), whereas simultaneous incubation with ASA 100 g /ml and C5a (10(-8)mol/l) resulted in 268+/-51 pg/ml in the NI group, 412+/-97 patients with AI, cLT release from blood leukocytes is altere d when compared with normals and patients with NP. The presented cLT-r elease assay could be of potential use in the in vitro diagnosis of AT .