322 ECP AND MPO IN SERUM IN ASTHMA AND OTHER CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE IN CHILDHOOD

Abstract

Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) (Pharmacia CAP) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) (Pharmacia RIA), was measured in 102 children with bronchial asthma (BA) and 22 children with other chronic lung diseases (CLD). Atopy diagnosed by skin prick test and/or pos. RAST was found in 71 asthma children (AA) and 1 CLD child. Asthma severity was ranked from 1-5 (Aas score). The AA children did not differ from the nonatopic (NAA) children with regard to severity. Eigthy-nine children with BA received inhaled steroids, whereas all the CLD children did. sECP was significantly higher in the BA-group: mean 19.02 μg/L, (95%CI: 18.39-25.08) than in the CLD group 10.51 μg/L (7.52-13.49), (P=0.02). sECP was also significantly higher in the AA-group: mean 22.09 μg/L (18.39-25.08) than in the NAA-group; mean 11.96 μg/L (9.25-14.67), (P<0.01). sMPO was elevated in all groups: AA: mean 604.7 μg/L (543.9-665.6), NAA: 580.7 μg/L (520.6-652.7), CLD: 665.1 μg/L (490.5-839.7), not significant. In this steroid treated goups a slight, but significant correlation was found between asthma severity and sECP (r=0.21, p= 0.035), for sMPO no correlation was found.This study suggests that sECP reflects bronchial inflammation in AA better than it does in NAA and CLD, indicating that the eosinophil granulocyte ia more activated in AA than in NAA and CLD. sMPO is elevated in all groups, but does in this regard not indicate any specifisity. Although the vast majority of the children suffering from BA received inhaled steroids, the data also indicates a relationship between sECP and asthma severity.