Tobacco Documents Online

1994 ALA/ATS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE • MAY 22 - 2!i, 1994 • BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 1994 ABSTRACT FORM FIRST AUTHOR (Please type information) -Name 7im Mark Ingram, M.D. ALL ABSTRACTS MUST BE IN TIY,E ATS OFRCE BY THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4,1993. • Papers received after that date will be returned to the author. • The submission of multipba abstracts from the same laboratory with closely related data is discouraged. Address Division of Allergy - Bldg. MR-4, Room 5061; Box 29 University of VirQinia Health Sciences Center.'Charlottesville. Telephone ( 804 ) g24-n4nR Fax (804 ) -224-5779 Do not fold this sheet Type within box. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - EOSINOPHIL CATIONIC PROTEIN IN NASOPHARYIIGEAL SECRETIONS FROM WHEEZING CF-IILDREN. *7 t Iziaram M.D.. *G Rakes M.D.. :kD Proud Ph.D., tF Hayden M.D.. tTAE Pli tts-Mills M.D.. Ph.D., *PW Hevmann M.D.* Departments of *Pediatrics and tlnternal Medicine, Univesity of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA $The Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center, Baltimore, MD Eosinophils have a well-recognized role in allergic inflammation and in the late phase events of asthma. In adult studies, both eosuophil numbers and levels of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) have been shovm to be elevated in bronchial alveolar lavage fluid from patients with asthma. In a study of children treated for wheezing in a pediatric emergency room, we have analyzed ECP levels in nasal wash fluid from 40 children (16 wheezing and 24 control patients). Ten children were under age two, four of whom were wheezing and were diagnosed with bronchiolitis. ECP was measured in wash fluid (diluted 1/2 and 1/4) using a competitive inhibition fluorometric assay frcm Kabi-Pharmacia, Sweden. In addition, eosinophils were counted in stained secretions from the same subjects by three examiners blinded to the identity of :he patients. Results demonstrated that the concentrations of ECP in washes froin wheezing children over the age of two (n=12) were significantly elevated compared to controls (n= 18)(geometric mean = 145 and 27 ng/ml, respectively, p<0.02). In addition, high ECP levels (>400 ng/ml were found in secretions from 7 of 12 (58%) asthma patients compared to 1 of 18 (ll%) controls, p<0.01. Nasal eosinophilia (> 10 ceIls/100 cells counted) was found in 42% of the children with asthma and 17% of the controls. Strikingly, ECP concentrations > 100 »g/mI were found in samples from 5 patients (four with asthma) who did not :2ave eosinophilia in their stained secretions. Washes from the four wheezing childrea under age two contained 28,128, 353, and 66 ag/ml of ECP. The geometric mean concentration of ECP in washes from control patients under age 2 was 40 ng/mL Conclusion: Results from this study demonstrated that 1) ECP leve:s were significantly elevated in nasal washes from children with acute attacks of wheezing compared to controls, and 2) high concentrations of ECP can be detected in washes from patients in whom nasal eosinophilia was not apparent. Thus, compared to eosinophil counts, ECP determinations may provide a better method for assessing an eosinophilic response in the respiratory secre.ions from wheezing patients in this study. - Supported by: National Institutes of Health CATEGORY a104 (Indicate category number that best fits your abstract.) KEYINURDS/PHRASES: 1. Fnclnphi 1 S , 2. Asthma . 3. Children (List up to three key words/phrases by which your abstract can be identified.) L 0 Check here if FIRST AUTHOR VA is an ATS member 22908 Processing fee is $35.00. Check payabte to ATS or credit card intormation must accompany the abstrad. Indicate method of payment on the 'attached form. -W 6 Z io