THERAPY MONITORING OF BRONCHIAL-ASTHMA IN CHILDREN WITH THE MEASUREMENT OF URINARY EOSINOPHIL PROTEIN-X IN CHILDREN

Activated eosinophils play a major role in the asthmatic airway inflam mation. Knowledge about the inflammatory process in the pathogenesis o f asthma led to change in pharmacotherapy with an increased use of ant i-inflammatory drugs like inhalant steroids. However, dose-dependent o ccurrence of side-effects must be expected. Therefore, appropriate way s for monitoring of anti-inflammatory treatment are needed. The object ive of this study was to clarify whether increased amounts of Eosinoph il Protein X in urine (U-EPX) of children could reflect the degree of asthmatic inflammation. In this study we measured the contents of Eosi nophil Protein X in spontaneous samples of urine of 18 asthmatic indiv iduals and of 5 nonatopic controls (average age 7 years) by radio-immu ne-assay (Pharmacia). Patients admitted to hospital with acute asthmat ic attacks showed significantly increased levels of U-EPX (mean 384.5 mu g/mmol creatinine) compared with children with stable asthma using antiinflammatory treatment (mean 100.8 mu g/mmol creatinine). Both gro ups had higher U-EPX levels than nonatopic controls (mean 89,8 mu g/mm ol creatinine). Conclusion: Increased levels of U-EPX appear to reflec t airway inflammation in asthmatic patients. If this suggestion holds true in larger study groups, measuring contents of U-EPX may be an app ropriate tool for an objective and noninvasive monitoring of antiinfla mmatory therapy in asthmatic children.