Measurement of leukotriene C4 and D4 in arterial blood of asthmatic patients during remission.

We measured the amounts of leukotriene C4 and D4 in the arterial blood of asthmatic patients during remission and compared these with the amounts of leukotrienes in the arterial blood of asthmatic patients during acute asthma, which had been reported in our previous study. Leukotriene C4 and D4 was detected in five patients during remission at 50.68 +/- 8.28 and 36.68 +/- 17.31 pg/mL (mean +/- SD), respectively. In five control subjects, the amounts of leukotriene C4 and D4 were 78.22 +/- 34.65 and 55.06 +/- 13.54 pg/mL (mean +/- SD), respectively. As cited in our previous report, the amounts of leukotriene C4 and D4 in arterial blood of asthmatic patients during acute asthma were 523.33 +/- 737.06 and 495 +/- 304.48 pg/mL. Hence, there were no significant differences in the leukotriene C4 and D4 values between asthmatic patients during remission and control subjects, whereas there was a significant difference in the leukotriene D4 values between asthmatic patients during acute asthma and, asthmatic patients during remission or control subjects (P less than .01). In addition, the leukotriene C4 values in asthmatic patients during acute asthma were larger than in asthmatic patients during remission or control subjects without a significant difference. The amounts of leukotriene C4 and D4 in arterial blood of asthmatic patients may reflect the degree of severity of acute asthma.