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Depts of 1 Paediatrics and 2 Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
CORRESPONDENCE: T.F. Leung, Dept of Paediatrics, 6/F, Clinical Sciences Building, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China. Fax: 852 26360020. E-mail: leung2142@cuhk.edu.hk
Keywords: asthma, children, monocyte-derived chemokine, thymus and activation-regulated chemokine
Received: September 7, 2002
Accepted November 14, 2002
Recent studies suggested the T-helper cells type-2 lymphocytes-specific thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) and monocyte-derived chemokine (MDC) are useful inflammatory markers for chronic asthma. However, their roles in assessing the severity of acute asthma are unknown. This study aims to evaluate the serial changes of plasma TARC and MDC concentrations in children with asthmatic exacerbation.
All patients with acute asthma were treated with systemic corticosteroid for 5 days. The severity of asthmatic exacerbation was classified according to the Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines. Plasma TARC and MDC concentrations were measured by sandwich enzyme immunoassays.
Sixteen children, with a median (interquartile range) age of 9.3 (7.2–10.6) yrs and asthmatic exacerbation, were recruited. Plasma TARC concentration showed inverse correlation with peak expiratory flow rate at presentation. The median plasma TARC concentration was highest during the acute attacks (46 pg·mL–1) as compared to those levels at 1 (31 pg·mL–1) and 5 weeks (32 pg·mL–1) following treatment. The median plasma MDC level similarly decreased from 698 pg·mL–1 at baseline to 261 pg·mL–1 1 week later, but increased back to 574 pg·mL–1 at 5 weeks.
These results suggest that plasma T-helper cells type-2 lymphocytes-specific thymus and activation-regulated chemokine but not monocyte-derived chemokine concentration may be a useful inflammatory marker in assessing asthmatic exacerbation in children.
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