ABSTRACT
This study was meant to evaluate the importance of LTs in atopic dermatitis [AD] and to study the correlation of urinary LTE4 with disease severity and some commonly altered parameters in AD. The study included 30 children and adolescents diagnosed to have atopic dermatitis. Ten age and sex matched healthy children and adolescents were enrolled for comparison. They were subjected to clinical evaluation and measurement of urinary LTE4, absolute eosinophilic count, serum IgE and IL-4 and IL-5 in peripheral blood mononuclear cell culture [PBMC] supernatant. The patients were categorized into mild [n = 5], moderate [n = 16] and severe [n = 9] AD subgroups. The study revealed a significant increase in absolute eosinophilic count. Urinary LTE4, serum IgE and IL-4 and IL-5 in PBMC culture supernatant in the patients as compared to controls. Moreover, urinary LTE4 levels were significantly increased in moderate and severe cases of AD as compared to the control group, whereas mild cases had levels that were comparable to the controls. Urinary LTE4 levels were higher in severe and moderate cases when compared to mild cases. Significant positive correlations could be elicited between urinary LTE4 and PBMC IL-4, disease severity scale, absolute eosinophilic count and serum total IgE. However, urinary LTE4 could not be correlated statistically with PBMC IL-5