Urinary leukotriene E4 and eosinophil cationic protein in nasopharyngeal aspiration in wheezing children with or without respiratory syncytial virus infection

초록

Early detection of airway inflammation is important to enable early prevention and treatment in childhood. Measuring inflammatory markers in the urine and nasopharyngeal aspiration (NPA) offers the advantage of simple, noninvasive procedures in children. Increased levels of leukotriene (LT) E4 have been demonstrated in urine from subjects with asthma because the cysteinyl leukotrienes have profound effects on airway smooth muscle contraction. Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is well known to increase in recurrent wheezing. The aim of this study is to assess the differences between wheezing with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection and wheezing with asthma. We compared urinary LTE4 and ECP, IL-10 levels in NPA from non-asthmatic children with RSV infection (n=20) and from atopic asthmatic children (n=12), and 18 unaffected healthy children as the controls. Urinary LTE4 level from asthmatic children is higher than wheezing children with RSV infection and the controls. ECP levels were significantly different in children with or without wheezing. ECP level in NPA was correlated with urinary LTE4. The association between urinary LTE4 and symptoms in children with wheezing was not significant in children presenting with acute symptoms at the time of the urine collection.