RATIONALE: Eicosanoids are lipid mediators implicated in the regulation of allergic inflammation responses and have been considered as potentialbiomarkersforasthmaticchildren.Theobjectiveofthisstudywas to investigate profiles of 10 selected eicosanoid metabolites in exhaled breath condensates (EBCs) of children with asthma in comparison to those of healthy children. METHODS: EBCs were from 175 children (aged 9±2.3 years) with stable atopic asthma (58 using inhaled steroids) and 125 healthy controls (10.8±1.2 years).Either high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS) or enzymatic immunoassays (EIA) were used to measure 10 different metabolites. In addition, exhaled nitric oxide levels (FeNO) and bronchial hyperresponsiveness were assessed through a methacholine challenge test (PC 20) in all subjects. RESULTS: Among the ten eicosanoids, the levels of LTB4 (5.71 pg/ml vs0.44 pg/ml; P<0.001), LTE4 (9.13 pg/ml vs 5.38 pg/ml; P<0.001), and PGE2 (13.29 pg/ml vs 6.77pg/ml; P<0.018) were significantly higher inasthmatics than in healthy children, while 11-dehydro TXB2 was significantly less abundant (3.55 pg/ml vs 1.0 pg/ml; P=0.045) in asthmatics.The levels of eicosanoids demonstrated no appreciable relationship to asthma severity. From the fasting lipid profiles, we found a slightly higher level of cholesterol, with all other elements being within the normal range. These parameters discriminated asthmatics from healthy children better than FEV1 , FeNO or PC20. CONCLUSIONS: In the current study, a composite of LTB4,LTE4 and PGE2 levels in EBCs was distinguishable between asthmatic and healthy subjects, suggesting the potential utility of assessing EBC’s eicosanoids as inflammatory markers for childhood asthma.
Date:
2014-02
Relation:
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2014 Feb;133(2, Suppl.):AB141.
