PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Orsolya Drozdovszky
AU  - Imre Barta
AU  - Balázs Antus
TI  - Assessment of sputum prostaglandins and leukotrienes in COPD exacerbations
DP  - 2013 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - P840
VI  - 42
IP  - Suppl 57
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P840.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P840.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2013 Sep 01; 42
AB  - Background: Eicosanoids have been implicated in the pathophysiology of COPD. However, their role in exacerbation is uncertain. The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate leukotriene B4 (LTB4), 8-isoprostane, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and cysteinil-leukotrienes (cys-LT) in the sputum of COPD patients hospitalized with an acute exacerbation.Methods: We studied 25 stable COPD patients (age: 62.1±1.6 years, 48.8±4.8 pack-years, GOLD: I-III) and 34 patients (age: 64.6±2.2 years, 45.8±4.1 pack-years, GOLD: I-IV), first, at hospital admission due to an exacerbation and again after treatment. Eicosanoids in sputum were determined by enzyme-immunoassay (Cayman). Data are presented as mean±SEM.Results: Sputum PGE2, 8-isoprostane and LTB4 levels were increased in patients with exacerbation compared to stable subjects (PGE2: 36.3 [13.3-81.9] vs. 3.82 [1.77-6.63] pg/ml, p<0.001; 8-isoprostane: 80.1 [36.4-155.4] vs. 29.7 [13.8-68.8] pg/ml, p<0.05; LTB4: 581.7 [244.7-776.9] vs. 276.1 [105.4-594.7] pg/ml, p<0.05). After treatment only PGE2 was decreased significantly (19.4 [4.6-52.5] pg/ml, p<0.01), levels of other eicosanoids remained elevated. In exacerbated patients there was a significant correlation between PGE2 and sputum total (r=0.57, p<0.005) and neutrophil cell counts (r=0.68, p<0.005). Sputum cys-LT levels were similar in stable patients and in those with exacerbation (211.9 [128.6-827.1] vs. 469.2 [169.2-858.9] pg/ml, p=NS). The treatment did not influence cys-LT either.Conclusions: PGE2 in sputum may be a useful marker for monitoring exacerbation-associated inflammation within the airway of patients with COPD, and its role should be further investigated. Cys-LT may not be involved in the process.