Exhaled 15-HETE and thromboxin-B2 are associated with the therapeutic
outcome in childhood asthma
Abstract
Background: Dysregulation of eicosanoids is associated with asthma and a
composite of oxylipins, including exhaled LTB4, characterizes childhood
asthma. While FeNO has been used as the standard for monitoring steroid
responsiveness, the potential utility of eicosanoids in monitoring the
therapeutic outcomes remains unclear. We aimed to examine the levels of
major eicosanoids representing different metabolic pathways in exhaled
breath condensates (EBCs) of children with asthma during exacerbation
and after treatment. Methods: Levels of 6 exhaled eicosanoid species in
asthmatic children and healthy subjects were evaluated using ELISA.
Results: In addition to those previously reported, including LTB4, the
levels of exhaled 15-HETE, but not TXB2, showed significant difference
between asthmatics (N=318) and healthy controls (N=97), particularly the
severe group showed the lowest levels of exhaled 15-HETE. Receiver
Operating Characteristic (ROC) analyses revealed similar distinguishing
power for the levels of 15-HETE, FEV1 and FeNO, whilethe 15-HETE/LTB4
ratio was significantly lower in subjects with severe asthma
(p<0.01). Analysis of asthmatics (N=75) during exacerbation
and convalescence showed significant improvement in lung function (FEV1;
p<0.001), but not FeNO, concomitant with significantly
increased levels of 15-HETE (p<0.001) and reduced levels of
TXB2 (p<0.05) after therapy, particularly for those who at the
top 30% level during exacerbation. Further, decreased LTB4 and LXA4 at
convalescence were noted only in those at the top 30 percentile during
exacerbation. Conclusion: The exhaled 15-HETE was found to discriminate
childhood asthma while decreased levels of exhaled TXB2 and increased
levels of 15-HETE were prominent after treatment.