F. Mitsunobu et al., DIFFERENT ROLES OF HISTAMINE AND LEUKOTRIENE C-4 IN THE AIRWAYS BETWEEN PATIENTS WITH ATOPIC AND NONATOPIC ASTHMA, The Journal of asthma, 35(4), 1998, pp. 367-372
The release of histamine and leukotriene C-4 (LTC4) from bronchoalveol
ar lavage (BAL) cells and peripheral blood stimulated with Ca ionophor
e A231 87 was compared between atopic and nonatopic asthma. The propor
tion of basophilic cells in BAL fluid was significantly higher in atop
ic than in nonatopic asthma (p < 0.01); however, no significant differ
ences were present in the other BAL cells between the two asthma types
. The concentration of histamine in BAL fluid was significantly higher
in younger patients (20-59 years) with atopic than in nonatopic asthm
a (p < 0.01). In contrast, the concentration of LTC4 was significantly
higher in nonatopic than in younger patients with atopic asthma (p <
0.01). The release of histamine from BAL cells (p < 0.001) and periphe
ral blood (p < 0.01) was significantly larger in younger patients with
atopic than in nonatopic asthma. The generation of LTC, by BAL cells
was significantly larger in nonatopic than in younger (p < 0.01) and o
lder patients with atopic asthma (60+ years) (p < 0.05). These results
suggest that both histamine and LTC4 participate in the onset mechani
sm of atopic asthma, and only LTC4 participates in that of nonatopic a
sthma.