Exercise increases exhaled breath condensate cysteinyl leukotriene concentration in asthmatic patients.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Although the importance of cysteinyl leukotrienes (Cys-LTs) in exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is supported by various sources of evidence, how the concentration of these mediators change during the development of EIB has not been investigated.

OBJECTIVES:

Our goal was to determine the effect of exercise on the concentration of airway Cys-LT in asthmatic patients by measuring Cys-LT in exhaled breath condensate (EBC).

METHODS:

Seventeen atopic asthmatic patients with a previous history of EIB and six healthy volunteers were studied. Before and two times within 10 minutes after exercise challenge, FEV₁ was measured and EBC was collected for Cys-LT measurement. Exhaled nitric oxide level, a marker of airway inflammation, was also determined at baseline.

RESULTS:

Baseline Cys-LT level was higher in the asthmatic group versus healthy subjects (168 pg/mL /112-223/ vs. 77 pg/mL /36-119/, p = .03). EBC Cys-LT concentration increased in all asthmatic patients post-exercise (n = 17, p = .03), with the increase significantly greater in patients developing exercise-induced bronchospasm (n = 7, p = .03), whereas no change was observed in healthy controls (p = .59). The exercise-induced fall in FEV(1) in asthmatics was related to the increase in EBC Cys-LT concentration (r = -0.40, p = .03).

CONCLUSIONS:

Our study shows that Cys-LT concentration of EBC is elevated minutes after physical exercise in asthmatic patients and strongly supports the concept that the release of this mediator is involved in the development of EIB.

• Authors: András Bikov, Réka Gajdócsi, Éva Huszár, Balázs Szili, Zsófia Lázár, Balázs Antus, György Losonczy, Ildikó Horváth
• Journal: The Journal of asthma : official journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma (J Asthma) Vol. 47 Issue 9 Pg. 1057-62 (Nov 2010) ISSN: 1532-4303 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 20868319 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Leukotrienes
• cysteinyl-leukotriene
• Nitric Oxide
• Cysteine

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Asthma, Exercise-Induced (metabolism, physiopathology)
• Breath Tests
• Cysteine (analysis)
• Exercise Test
• Exhalation
• Female
• Humans
• Inflammation (metabolism)
• Leukotrienes (analysis)
• Male
• Nitric Oxide (analysis)
• Respiratory Function Tests
• Young Adult