Enhancement of A23187-induced production of the slow-reacting substance on peripheral leukocytes from subjects with asthma.

Peripheral polymorphonuclear leukocytes and mononuclear leukocytes from normal subjects and subjects with asthma were studied for their production of slow-reacting substance (SRS) after nonimmunologic stimulation with the calcium ionophore A23187. The amount of SRS generated was determined in both polymorphonuclear leukocyte fractions and mononuclear leukocyte fractions from four groups of subjects: 10 with extrinsic asthma, five with mixed-type asthma, 10 with intrinsic asthma, and 10 normal control subjects. In either cell type, the SRS produced was much more in cells from subjects with extrinsic asthma and less in cells from subjects with the mixed-type asthma, intrinsic asthma, and the normal subjects in order of decreasing quantity. These results indicate the amount of SRS generated by nonimmunologic stimulation with calcium ionophore is related to the degree of atopy and suggest the existence of an intrinsic cellular defect in cells from subjects with atopic asthma in addition to the effects of higher serum levels of IgE antibodies.