Serum Eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) as an effective biological marker to monitor therapy in bronchial asthma patients.

Abstract

Clinically diagnosed bronchial asthma patients comprising of new cases, on therapy or follow up were enrolled for this study to see if the new biological marker Eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) can be used as a more precise marker to monitor therapy than the presently used conventional ones like FEV1% predicted, PEFR, and Circulating eosinophil (C.E) count. Out of 70 bronchial asthma patients, 30 intermittent, 4 mild persistent, 24 moderate persistent and 12 severe persistent asthma patients were included, while 45 cases were enrolled for follow up. Serum level of eosinophil granular protein, Eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) was measured in relation to changes in their forced expiratory volume in 1st second (FEV1% predicted) and Circulating Eosinophil count (%) before and after therapy in 45 follow up patients on asthma therapy. In this study, it was observed that C.E count (%) and FEV1% predicted were not decreased significantly and serum eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) decreased significantly (p<0.001) after asthma therapy. Thus, serum ECP level can be used as a biological marker than other conventionally used marker (FEV1, C.E count) to monitor therapeutic efficacy in bronchial asthma patients.

Serum eosinophilic cationic protein and high sensitive C-reactive protein as alternative parameters for differentiation of severity stages and monitoring control in bronchial asthma patients

“…In accordance with the previous reports [8,22], the current work showed that serum ECP levels had significantly fallen (p < 0.01), while, FEV 1 % and ACT had significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the subgroup of asthmatic patients who were followed up after 2 months of asthma therapy. Begum et al [22] explained that elevated ECP seems to denote patients at the risk of inflammatory exacerbations, resulting in practical implications for the therapeutic management of chronic asthma.…”

“…Zedan et al [6] and Begum et al [22] explained that serum ECP is now accepted as an indicator of eosinophil activity. It appears to be the earliest indicator of allergen induced bronchial inflammation when changes in symptoms or in bronchial responsiveness are not yet evident.…”

“…Begum et al [22] explained that elevated ECP seems to denote patients at the risk of inflammatory exacerbations, resulting in practical implications for the therapeutic management of chronic asthma. ECP is a guide to tail down inhaled corticosteroid therapy and assessment of compliance to most forms of anti-inflammatory therapies in asthma and guiding the tapering of inhaled corticosteroid in stabilized asthmatics.…”