Urinary leukotriene E4 and 11-dehydrothromboxane B2 in patients with aspirin-sensitive asthma.

The objective of this study was to define the participation of cysteinyl leukotrienes (LTs) or thromboxane A2 in the pathogenesis of aspirin-sensitive asthma (ASA). Leukotriene E4 (LTE4) and 11-dehydrothromboxane B2 (11DTXB2) values in spot urine were measured in 22 asthmatics with a history of aspirin sensitivity and in 17 without such a history (non-aspirin-sensitive asthma [NASA]) in the outpatient clinic. The urinary LTE4 value was significantly higher in ASA patients than in NASA (340 +/- 47 vs 65 +/- 15 pg/mg.cr, P < 0.001), but there was no significant difference in urinary 11DTXB2 between the two groups (891 +/- 77 vs 657 +/- 90 pg/mg.cr). A high value of LTE4 was not associated with type of asthma, severity of disease, oral prednisolone treatment, sex, or age. A higher value of 11DTXB2 was observed in the atopic type than the nonatopic type in ASA (1086 +/- 111 vs 697 +/- 147 pg/mg.cr, P < 0.05). No correlation was observed between urinary LTE4 and 11DTXB2 in either ASA or NASA. In conclusion, LTs may play an important role in the pathogenesis of ASA, and TXA2 in the pathogenesis of the atopic type in ASA.