Abnormal responses to aspirin of leukocyte oxygenation of arachidonic acid in adults with aspirin intolerance

Abstract

The effect of 1 μ and 5 μ aspirin on oxygenation of arachidonic acid in vitro by basophils stimulated with anti-IgE was assessed with basophil-enriched suspensions of mononuclear leukocytes from five patients with asthma and hypertrophic allergic rhinitis and one patient with rhinitis alone who had recent adverse pulmonary reactions to aspirin, four aspirin-tolerant patients with asthma receiving therapy similar to that of the aspirin-sensitive patients, and eight normal subjects who resembled the patients with respect to sex and age. As quantified by the combined application of high-performance liquid chromatography and radioimmunoassays, the generation of the principal products prostaglandin E 2 (PGEZ 2) and leukotriene D 4 was modified differently by aspirin but not sodium salicylate in the aspirin-sensitive patients. The alterations of PGE 2 generation and of the ratio of leukotriene D 4 to PGE 2 generation by aspirin were much greater for basophil-containing leukocytes of aspirin-sensitive patients than those of the nvo control groups. Although the basic mechanism and relevance to pulmonary reactions 9f the observed effects of aspirin were not elucidated, aspirin clearly modifies the leukocyte oxygenation of arachidonic acid differently in aspirin-sensitive patients.