Increased PMA-induced chemiluminescence from whole blood of patients with bronchial hyperreactivity

Abstract

Blood phagocytes from patients with asthma have an increased capacity to produce reactive oxygen metabolites. We studied whether whole blood luminol-dependent chemiluminescence could detect this phenomenon in patients with a normal spirometry but bronchial hyperreactivity as determined with a methacholine bronchial challenge test. Whole blood chemiluminescence, serum eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP), and serum myeloperoxidase (MPO) were determined from 50 patients referred for a methacholine challenge due to prolonged cough and/or dyspnoea. The chemiluminescence results were compared to those from 15 healthy persons. The hyperreactive patients (n = 18) had significantly higher phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced whole blood chemiluminescence values (mean 18.8 mV.min-1; 95% confidence limits (C.L.) 16.3-21.3 mV.min-1) than the normoreactive patients (mean 14.2 mV.min-1; 95% C.L. 13.0-15.5 mV.min-1;) and the healthy controls (mean 12.8 mV.min-1; 95% C.L. 11.7-13.9 mV.min-1). There was no significant difference in PMA-induced chemiluminescence between the normoreactive patients and the controls. The hyperreactive patients had higher serum ECP values than the normoreactive patients, but there was no correlation between whole blood chemiluminescence and serum ECP levels or total eosinophil count. There was no significant difference in monocyte reactive oxygen metabolite production or serum MPO values between the normoreactive and the hyperreactive patients. We suggest that the increased PMA-induced whole blood chemiluminescence in bronchial hyperreactivity is due mainly to an activation of neutrophils, and that the assay might be useful as a systemic inflammatory marker in patients with pulmonary inflammatory processes resulting in bronchial hyperreactivity.

Superoxide anion production by monocytes of corticosteroid-treated asthmatic patients

“…The ability of these cells to generate highly reactive oxygen species (ROS), including super-oxide anion, following activation of a membraneassociated reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase is an important part of the host defence system, and has also been implicated in inflammation in a variety of pulmonary diseases [2,3], including asthma [4,5]. Oxygen metabolites cause tissue injury, smooth muscle contraction, increased airway vascular permeability, and may increase airway responsiveness and release of var-ious mediators [4].…”

In Vitro Effects of a Commercial Herbal Medicine Used as African Traditional Medicine on Human Neutrophils

“…The agonist, fMLP binds to specific G-protein-linked formyl peptide receptors on the cell membrane, initiating a cascade of reactions starting with the activation of phospholipase C (PLC) leading to activation of PKC, which in turn activates NOX. Although all the phagocytes are present in the whole blood sample, the luminescence signal obtained in whole blood is a function of the quantity and activity of neutrophils (Ristola & Repo, 1989), and is also indicative of their metabolic activity (Nordman et al, 1994).…”

Comparison of two methacholine challenge methods using Spira‐2 or Mefar dosimeter

“…However, in the Estonian part of the ECRHS, the methacholine challenges were performed with the Spira Elektro‐2 dosimeter. This dosimeter method with controlled tidal breathing has been used widely in clinical practice and research ( Nieminen et al ., 1988 ; Nieminen, 1992; Nordman et al ., 1994 ; Hedman et al ., 1996 ). In previous studies, both dosimeters have shown good repeatability in estimating the provocative dose of methacholine producing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume (FEV) in 1 s (PD 20 ).…”