PMID- 15832052 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20050602 LR - 20131121 IS - 1018-2438 (Print) IS - 1018-2438 (Linking) VI - 137 IP - 1 DP - 2005 May TI - Analysis of growth factors and inflammatory cytokines in exhaled breath condensate from asthmatic children. PG - 66-72 AB - BACKGROUND: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), AA isoform of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-AA), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) are involved in the pathogenesis of airway inflammation in asthma. These molecules are closely associated with cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin (IL)-4. This study investigates the relation between childhood asthma and levels of these mediators in exhaled breath condensate (EBC). METHODS: EBC was collected from asthmatic children and controls using a disposable collection kit, and the concentrations of VEGF, PDGF-AA, EGF, TNF-alpha and IL-4 in EBC were measured using sandwich enzyme immunoassays. Exhaled nitric oxide concentration was measured by a chemiluminescence analyzer. RESULTS: Thirty-five asthmatic patients aged between 7 and 18 years and 11 controls were recruited. Sixteen patients had intermittent asthma (IA) whereas 19 of them suffered from persistent asthma (PA). A significant correlation was found between IL-4 and TNF-alpha in EBC (rho = 0.374, p = 0.010). PDGF-AA levels in EBC were higher in subjects with diminished FEV1 (p = 0.023) whereas IL-4 concentrations were increased in asthmatics (p = 0.007) as well as subjects with increased plasma total IgE (p = 0.033). Patients with PA receiving high-dose inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) had higher EBC IL-4 concentration than those on low-dose ICS (p = 0.007). Linear regression revealed that PDGF-AA levels in EBC were negatively associated with FEV1 percentage (beta = -0.459, p = 0.006) among the asthmatic patients. CONCLUSIONS: IL-4 in EBC is increased in childhood asthma, and growth factors are detectable in a significant proportion of these children. Increased PDGF-AA is found in asthmatics with more severe airflow limitation. CI - Copyright 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel FAU - Leung, Ting-Fan AU - Leung TF AD - Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. leung2142@cuhk.edu.hk FAU - Wong, Gary W K AU - Wong GW FAU - Ko, Fanny W S AU - Ko FW FAU - Li, Chung-Yi AU - Li CY FAU - Yung, Edmund AU - Yung E FAU - Lam, Christopher W K AU - Lam CW FAU - Fok, Tai-Fai AU - Fok TF LA - eng PT - Journal Article PT - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't DEP - 20050412 PL - Switzerland TA - Int Arch Allergy Immunol JT - International archives of allergy and immunology JID - 9211652 RN - 0 (Cytokines) RN - 0 (Growth Substances) RN - 0 (Platelet-Derived Growth Factor) RN - 0 (Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha) RN - 0 (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A) RN - 0 (platelet-derived growth factor A) RN - 207137-56-2 (Interleukin-4) RN - 31C4KY9ESH (Nitric Oxide) RN - 37341-29-0 (Immunoglobulin E) RN - 62229-50-9 (Epidermal Growth Factor) SB - IM MH - Adolescent MH - Asthma/*immunology/*metabolism MH - Breath Tests MH - Child MH - Cytokines/analysis/*metabolism MH - Epidermal Growth Factor/analysis MH - Female MH - Forced Expiratory Volume MH - Growth Substances/analysis/*metabolism MH - Humans MH - Immunoglobulin E/blood MH - Interleukin-4/analysis MH - Male MH - Nitric Oxide/analysis MH - Platelet-Derived Growth Factor/analysis MH - Statistics, Nonparametric MH - Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/analysis MH - Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/analysis MH - Vital Capacity EDAT- 2005/04/16 09:00 MHDA- 2005/06/03 09:00 CRDT- 2005/04/16 09:00 PHST- 2004/11/22 00:00 [received] PHST- 2005/01/27 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2005/04/16 09:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2005/06/03 09:00 [medline] PHST- 2005/04/16 09:00 [entrez] AID - 85106 [pii] AID - 10.1159/000085106 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2005 May;137(1):66-72. doi: 10.1159/000085106. Epub 2005 Apr 12.