R. Oosaki et al., CORRELATION AMONG URINARY EOSINOPHIL PROTEIN-X, LEUKOTRIENE E-4, AND 11-DEHYDROTHROMBOXANE B-2 IN PATIENTS WITH SPONTANEOUS ASTHMATIC ATTACK, Clinical and experimental allergy, 28(9), 1998, pp. 1138-1144
Various kinds of cells and their mediators are thought to be involved
in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. However, changes in each medi
ator or relationship among mediators during an asthmatic attack have n
ot been well documented. In this study, to clarify whether eosinophil
protein X (EPX) is a marker which is distinct from leukotriene E-4 (LT
E4), or 11-dehydrothromboxane B-2 (11DTXB(2)), we measured the urinary
excretion of EPX, LTE4, and 11DTXB(2) in 14 asthmatics who were admit
ted to the hospital with either an acute asthmatic attack or status as
thmaticus. These patients included eight atopic and six nonatopic type
s of bronchial asthma, with a median age of 34.0 years. Urinary excret
ion of EPX was significantly high on admission with the asthmatic atta
ck, and returned to control levels 175 [122 -384] mu g/day when the pa
tients were in the improved state (1036-317 mu g/day, P < 0.01). Simil
ar findings were observed in LTE4 (155-59 ng/day, P < 0.01) and 11DTXB
(2) (991-442 ng/day, P<0.01). No significant differences in values wer
e observed between atopic and non-atopic types of asthma in all three
substances. When the individual data during the attack state were anal
ysed, a significant correlation was observed between changes (%) in ur
inary EPX and those in urinary LTE4, but no such relationship was obse
rved between changes (%) in urinary EPX and those in urinary 11DTXB2.
These results suggest that measuring urinary EPX levels may be a usefu
l marker for the understanding and management of the disease.