Elevated plasma level of leukotrienes in bronchial asthma patients: a possible clinical relevance.

Plasma from bronchial asthma patients and healthy controls was investigated for the content of lipoxygenase products. After lipid extraction using SEP-PAK C18 Cartridges, the lipoxygenase products were measured by Enzyme-Immunoassay. Elevated chemotactic B4 was found in plasma from asthmatic patients with mean value (483 +/- 75) pmol/L, while the mean value in normal healthy donors was (140 +/- 12.1) pmol/L (M +/- SE). The levels of spasmogenic cysteinyl containing leukotrienes were also very high in the bronchial asthma patients. Elevations of leukotriene B4 and cysteinyl containing leukotrienes were detected during attacks of bronchial asthma. These results suggest that leukotriene B4 may be important in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma and confirmed that peptidoleukotrienes play a role as chemical mediators during the asthmatic attack.