ELEVATION OF THE PLASMA-LEVEL OF RANTES DURING ASTHMA ATTACKS

Background: RANTES is considered to play an important role in various immune and allergic disorders since it is a potent chemoattractant for inflammatory cells such as eosinophils, memory T cells, and monocytes . Objective: To investigate the possible role of RANTES in the pathoge nesis of bronchial asthma. Methods: The plasma level of RANTES was mea sured in 12 asthma patients and 15 normal controls by a sandwich enzym e-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: In the patients with asthma, th e plasma RANTES level was significantly elevated during acute attacks compared to that in the controls. In addition, it was higher than that during the asymptomatic state in the same patients. Plasma beta-throm boglobulin levels were also elevated in asthma patients during acute a ttacks and showed a correlation with the RANTES level. Conclusion: The se findings suggest a role for IL RANTES in the pathogenesis of asthma and a possible role for platelets in RANTES release in asthma.