Serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) as a mediator of inflammation in acute asthma, during resolution and during the monitoring of stable asthmatic patients treated with inhaled steroids according to a dose reduction schedule

1999 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Kunkel ◽  
A.-C. Rydén
1993 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 391-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claus Kroegel ◽  
Ann Dewar ◽  
Tatsuo Yukawa ◽  
Per Venge ◽  
Peter J. Barnes ◽  
...  

1. Purified human eosinophils from asthmatic patients were stimulated with platelet-activating factor in vitro and examined for morphological changes by transmission electron and light microscopy. Changes were also evaluated by morphometric analysis and were related to the platelet-activating factor-stimulated release of granular eosinophil cationic protein. 2. Stimulation of eosinophils with platelet-activating factor induced a dose-dependent shape change, including the elongation of cells, loss of microvilli and the formation of lamellipodia. This effect was maximal at 25 min and was reversible. 3. Stimulation with platelet-activating factor also induced granule movement to the cell periphery and fusion of adjacent granules. Granules became swollen and vesiculated, whereas both the matrix and core showed evidence of solubilization. 4. There was a time-dependent secretion of eosinophilic cationic protein from human eosinophils upon stimulation with platelet-activating factor which occurred without significant lactate dehydrogenase release. 5. Morphometric analysis of the transmission electron micrographs indicated a significant reduction in cytoplasmic area after 10 min of incubation with platelet-activating factor from 39.0 ± 1.7 μm2 for untreated eosinophils to 33.2 ± 2.3 μm2 (P < 0.02) for platelet-activating factor-treated cells, underscoring the observation that the cells change from spherical to ellipsoidal. No significant increase in the perimeter of the cells was found. 6. The number of granule-profiles in platelet-activating factor-stimulated eosinophils was slightly reduced when compared with control, and an increase in granule area was observed 10 min after platelet-activating factor challenge (0.215 ± 0.011 μm2 versus 0.246 ± 0.016 μm2). 7. Human eosinophils from patients with asthma stimulated with platelet-activating factor undergo both cellular and granular alterations and reorganization which parallel the release of granular eosinophil basic protein.


2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 393-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene den Otter ◽  
Luuk N.A. Willems ◽  
Annemarie van Schadewijk ◽  
Simone van Wijngaarden ◽  
Kirsten Janssen ◽  
...  

Which inflammatory markers in the bronchial mucosa of asthma patients are associated with decline of lung function during 14 years of prospective follow-up?To address this question, 19 mild-to-moderate, atopic asthmatic patients underwent spirometry and bronchoscopy at baseline and after 14 years of follow-up (t=14). Baseline bronchial biopsies were analysed for reticular layer thickness, eosinophil cationic protein (EG2), mast cell tryptase (AA1), CD3, CD4 and CD8. Follow-up biopsies were stained for EG2, AA1, neutrophil elastase, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD20, granzyme B, CD68, DC-SIGN, Ki67 and mucins.Decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) % predicted was highest in patients with high CD8 (p=0.01, both pre- and post-bronchodilator) or high CD4 counts at baseline (p=0.04 pre-bronchodilator, p=0.03 post-bronchodilator). Patients with high CD8, CD3 or granzyme B counts at t=14 also exhibited faster decline in FEV1 (p=0.00 CD8 pre-bronchodilator, p=0.04 CD8 post-bronchodilator, p=0.01 granzyme B pre-bronchodilator, and p<0.01 CD3 pre-bronchodilator).Long-term lung function decline in asthma is associated with elevation of bronchial CD8 and CD4 at baseline, and CD8, CD3 and granzyme B at follow-up. This suggests that high-risk groups can be identified on the basis of inflammatory phenotypes.


2003 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-253
Author(s):  
Snezana Kovacevic ◽  
Mirjana Bogic ◽  
Aleksandra Peric-Popadic ◽  
Sanvila Raskovic ◽  
Zikica Jovicic ◽  
...  

Activated eosinophilic leukocyte in asthma secretes numerous mediators, among which is ECP as well. The object of our study was to measure the serum ECP concentrations in 46 asthmatic patients with exacerabating and stable asthma, and to correlate the serum ECP concentrations with severity and exacerbation of the disease. Geometric mean of ECP in serum (Gecp) in our group of patients was 7.5 mcg/l, while it was 3.05 mcg/l in the 15 healthy subjects (controls). Highly significant correlation of serum ECP concentrations with the activity of the disease (R=0.897) and the severity of clinical picture (R=0.79) was found. The patients with stable asthma had significant correlation of ECP and the severity of disease (R=0.6). The patients with exacerbating asthma have significantly higher serum ECP concentrations than the patients with stable asthma. Serum ECP concentrations in patients with exacerbating asthma correlate with the severity of the disease.


1992 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael F. Fitzpatrick ◽  
Thomas MacKay ◽  
Carol Walters ◽  
Po-Chun Tai ◽  
Martin K. Church ◽  
...  

1. To investigate the role of mast cells and eosinophils in the pathogenesis of nocturnal asthma, the plasma methylhistamine concentration, serum eosinophil cationic protein level and peak expiratory flow rate were measured 2-hourly for 24 h in 10 patients with nocturnal asthma and in 10 healthy control subjects. Nocturnal asthma was defined as at least one nocturnal awakening per week due to cough, wheeze or breathlessness with an average overnight fall in peak expiratory flow rate of at least 15% during a 2-week run-in period. 2. The lowest peak expiratory flow rate occurred at 02.00–04.00 hours in the group with nocturnal asthma, whose overnight fall in peak expiratory flow rate was 29 ± 5% in comparison with 5 ± 1% (means ± sem) in the normal subjects. 3. Plasma methylhistamine levels at night (0.200–04.00 hours) were lower than during the day (10.00–20.00 hours) in both asthmatic patients and normal subjects (asthmatic patients: day, median 0.22 ng/ml, 95% confidence intervals 0.18–0.34 ng/ml; night, 0.17 ng/ml, 0.13–0.24 ng/ml; P<0.01; normal subjects: day, 0.31 ng/ml, 0.24–0.41 ng/ml; night, 0.24 ng/ml, 0.21–0.33 ng/ml; P<0.01). 4. The serum eosinophil cationic protein level was higher by day (30 ng/ml, 8–47 ng/ml) than by night (21 ng/ml, 5–34 ng/ml; P<0.04) in the group with nocturnal asthma, but did not change significantly with the time of day in the normal subjects (day: 8 ng/ml, 4–14 ng/ml; night: 8 ng/ml, 5–21 ng/ml). 5. Peripheral blood eosinophil counts fell in the early morning in the patients with nocturnal asthma (day: 0.52 × 109/l, 0.14–0.76 × 109/l; night: 0.29 × 109/l, 0.13–0.57 × 109/l; P= 0.03), but did not change significantly in the normal subjects. 6. This study indicates that a rise in plasma histamine concentration is not a prerequisite for nocturnal asthma.


1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 664-675
Author(s):  
O. M. Badr El Din ◽  
I. H. El Sawy ◽  
O. E. El Azzouni ◽  
M. M. A. Badr El Din ◽  
A. M. Salem

To study the value of eosinophil cationic protein [ECP] as a serological marker of disease activity in childhood bronchial asthma, ECP levels were measured in 20 healthy control children and 25 asthmatic children, during and 2 weeks after acute exacerbation. The mean serum ECP level of all asthmatic patients, during and after exacerbation, was significantly higher than the control group and was significantly higher during attacks than 2 weeks after their termination. ECP levels were highest in severe attacks, but did not differ between mild and moderate attacks. ECP levels in asthmatic patients 2 weeks after mild and moderate attacks were comparable to normal; after severe attacks levels remained higher than normal. Measurement of serum ECP will be helpful in determining asthma activity and deciding the use of anti-asthma drugs


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (35) ◽  
pp. 3784-3795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arzu D. Yalcin ◽  
Rusen Uzun

Background: Multi-center, randomized-controlled trials and observational studies have demonstrated that, in severe asthmatic patients receiving omalizumab treatment, the frequency of exacerbations, the number of urgent adverse events, and the need for oral steroids tend to decrease. Material and Method: This study included a total of 32 patients. The patients were divided into two groups as Group IA (pre-omalizumab) and Group IB (post-omalizumab). Serum IL-25 and IL-33 levels were measured and the number of emergency admissions, length of hospitalization (day), Asthma Control Test (ACT) scores, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) value were analyzed. Results: ACT and FeNO values increased after omalizumab treatment, while IL-33, IL-25 levels decreased after the completion of omalizumab treatment. Furthermore, there was a weak, positive, and significant relationship between the changes in the ECP levels and IL-33 levels (r=0.38, p=0.03). Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to compare circulating IL-25 and IL-33 levels with specific IgE synthesis in the literature. Multivariate correlation analysis showed that the changes in serum IL-33 levels were significantly correlated with the changes in the mite sIgE levels and length of hospital stay (Fmodel=11.2, p=0.01, r2=0.45). On the other hand, there was no significant relationship between the other variables and changes in the IL-25 levels.


2001 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michiko Fujitaka ◽  
Hiroshi Kawaguchi ◽  
Yasuhiro Kato ◽  
Nobuo Sakura ◽  
Kazuhiro Ueda ◽  
...  

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