role of leukotrienes B4 and C4 in bronchial asthma

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out on 35 asthmatic patients and ten normal control subjects. They were 25 males [71.4%] and 10 females [28.6%]. Their ages ranged between 15-48 years old. Fifteen out of 25 asthmatic males were cigarette smokers [60%], their smoking index ranged, from 50-1000 cigarette with mean 358 cigarette. The asthmatic patients were classified into 3 groups thirteen patients with acute recurrent asthma received salbutamol, eleven patients with chronic asthma received salbutamol, and eleven patients with acute severe asthma received salbutamol and corticosteroid. Control subjects were classified into 2 groups 5 control smokers and 5 non smokers. Serum LTB[4] and LTC[4] were measured in each patient before and after control of asthma. There was a significant increase in these parameters in asthmatic patients during acute attack than control subjects. Moreover, there was a significant increase in serum LTB[4] in asthmatic patients during remission than control subjects. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in serum LTC[4] in asthmatic patients during remission and control subjects. There was a significant difference in serum LTC[4] in control smokers than in control non smokers. However, there was no significant difference in asthmatic smokers and non smokers in serum LTB[4] and LTC[4]. Furthermore, clinical and ventilatory improvement in asthmatic patients during remission were associated with decreased levels of serum LTB[4] and LTC[4]. However, there was no significant difference in serum LTB[4] and LTC[4] levels in asthmatics patients who received corticosteroid and those who did not receive corticosteroid. These findings suggest that the leukotrienes have a role in the development of acute asthmatic attack and are associated with the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. The leukotrienes play a definitive role as mediators in bronchial asthma, as they present at serum levels consistent with the severity of acute asthma, and decreased with the improvement of the disease. The beneficial effects of corticosteroid in asthmatic patients appear to be mediated by mechanisms other than reduction of leukotrienes. The development of selective leukotriene antagonist may help in the treatment of asthmatic patients