Atrial natriuretic peptide in bronchial asthma in children

ABSTRACT

The hormone atrial natriuretic peptide [ANP] causes bronchodilatation and partially protects against direct and indirect bronchial challenges in patients with asthma. The present study was carried out to determine the role of ANP in bronchial asthma in children. Twenty asthmatic children with age ranged from 1.5 to 11 years old were subjected to clinical, laboratory and radiological studies. Plasma ANP has been measured for the asthmatic group during acute sever asthma and at least 4 weeks later while clinically stable, as well as, for a control group who included 15 clinically free children with appropriate age and sex. The mean plasma value of ANP during acute sever asthma [9.25 +/- 2.95 pg/me was significantly higher [P<0.001] than the corresponding values of clinically stable asthmatic children [6.13 +/- 2.72 pg/ml] and the-control group [1.45 +/- 1.12 pg/ml]. Also, the difference between the mean plasma ANP values of clinically stable asthmatic children and the control group was statistically highly significant [P<0.001]. We concluded that ANP could be considered one of the mediators of asthma modulation that increased in asthmatic children to protect against bronchocontriction