Fujitaka M, Kawaguchi H, Kato Y, Sakura N, Ueda K, Abe Y
Department of Pediatrics, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, Japan.
Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2001 Mar;86(3):323-9. doi: 10.1016/S1081-1206(10)63307-8.
Serum levels of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) may reflect the degree of bronchial inflammation in patients with asthma, but its clinical value as a parameter for monitoring asthma remains controversial.
We measured the ratios of the serum ECP concentrations to peripheral blood eosinophil counts (ECP/Eo ratio) in patients with asthma and evaluated the correlation between these ratios and individual asthma severity.
The serum ECP concentrations and peripheral blood eosinophil counts were measured by radioimmunoassay and an autoanalyzer, respectively. Each patient with asthma was in remission at the time the serum specimen was obtained. An overall evaluation of asthma severity for each patient was determined by the frequency and severity of asthma attacks and by clinical scores.
The ECP/Eo ratio in patients with severe asthma was significantly higher than in those with mild asthma. However, serum ECP concentrations and peripheral blood eosinophil counts were not different among the patients with mild, moderate, or severe asthma. The ECP/Eo ratios correlated significantly with the monthly average of the clinical scores, but the serum ECP concentrations did not correlate with the monthly average of the clinical scores. The ECP/Eo ratios were also increased in patients with more severe asthma whose serum IgE concentrations and peripheral eosinophil counts were not elevated.
The ECP/Eo ratio may be useful in assessing asthma severity; however, the serum ECP concentration or peripheral blood eosinophil count is not useful.
嗜酸性粒细胞阳离子蛋白（ECP）的血清水平可能反映哮喘患者的支气管炎症程度，但其作为监测哮喘的参数的临床价值仍存在争议。
我们测量了哮喘患者血清ECP浓度与外周血嗜酸性粒细胞计数的比值（ECP/Eo比值），并评估了这些比值与个体哮喘严重程度之间的相关性。
分别采用放射免疫分析法和自动分析仪测量血清ECP浓度和外周血嗜酸性粒细胞计数。在获取血清标本时，每位哮喘患者均处于缓解期。通过哮喘发作的频率和严重程度以及临床评分对每位患者的哮喘严重程度进行总体评估。
重度哮喘患者的ECP/Eo比值显著高于轻度哮喘患者。然而，轻度、中度或重度哮喘患者的血清ECP浓度和外周血嗜酸性粒细胞计数并无差异。ECP/Eo比值与临床评分的月平均值显著相关，但血清ECP浓度与临床评分的月平均值无相关性。血清IgE浓度和外周嗜酸性粒细胞计数未升高的更严重哮喘患者的ECP/Eo比值也升高。
ECP/Eo比值可能有助于评估哮喘严重程度；然而，血清ECP浓度或外周血嗜酸性粒细胞计数并无帮助。
