Leukotriene B 4 levels in the arterial blood of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

The concentration of leukotriene B 4 (LTB 4) was measured in the arterial blood of five patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and five healthy control subjects using a combination method of chromatographic fractionation and radioimmunoassay. The mean LTB 4 level in the patients with COPD was 0.70 ± 0.07 pmol/ml and that in the control subjects was 0.65 ± 0.10 pmol/ml. There was no significant difference between the two groups. Based on these results, we conclude that LTB 4 is not involved in the development of COPD.