Release of histamine and leukotriene C4 from bronchoalveolar cells in patients with bronchial asthma. A role of histamine in atopic asthma.

To clarify the main humoral triggering factor (histamine and/or leukotriene) of the early stage of asthma attacks, the release of histamine and leukotriene C4 (LTC4) from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells stimulated with Ca ionophore A23187 was examined in 7 patients with atopic asthma, and the results were compared to those in 7 nonatopic asthma patients. 1. The proportion of BAL basophilic cells was significantly higher in atopic patients than in nonatopic patients (p<0.05). 2. The content of histamine in BAL fluid was significantly higher in atopic (2.3mcg/mℓ) comparted to that in nonatopic patients (0mcg/mℓ)(p<0.001). The content of LTC4 was high in nonatopic (2.4ng/mℓ) than in atopic patients (0.5ng/ mℓ), however, this was not significant. 3. The release of histamine from BAL cells was 32.6% in atopic and 0% in nonatopic patients, and this was significant (p<0.001). The release of LTC4 from BAL cells was significantly higher in nonatopic (11.3ng/10(6)cell) than in atopic (3.5ng/10(6)cell)(p<0.02). The results demonstrate that histamine play more important role in atopic patients as a main triggering factor of attacks than LTC4. In contrast, in nonatopic patients, LTC4 is more predominant than histamine during early stage of asthma attacks.

気管支喘息発作初期に関与する液性因子(ヒスタミン,ロイコトリエン)の役割を明らかにするために,気管支肺胞洗浄(BAL)細胞からのカルシウムイオノフォアA23187によるヒスタミンとロイコトリエンC4 (LTC4)遊離の検討を行った｡対象はアトピー性喘息患者7名,非アトピー性喘息患者7名とした｡1.BAL液中の好塩基性細胞の比率は,アトピー性喘息患者において有意に高値を示した｡2.BAL液中ヒスタミン濃度は非アトピー性喘息患者(0mcg/mℓ)に比して,アトピー性喘息患者(2.3mcg/mℓ)において有意に高値を示した｡一方,BAL液中LTC4濃度は,アトピー性喘息患者(0.5ng/mℓ)に比し て非アトピー性喘息患者(2.4ng/mℓ)において,高値を示したが,有意差は見られなかった｡3.BAL細胞からのヒスタミン遊離は非アトピー性喘息患者(0%)に比して,アトピー性喘息患者(32.6%)において有意に高値を示した｡LTC4遊離はアトピー性瑞息患者(3.5ng/10(6)胞)に比して,非アトピー性喘息患者(ll.3ng/10(6)細胞)において有意に高値を示した｡以上より,喘息発作初期に関与する液性因子としては,アトピー性喘息患者においてはヒスタミンが重要であり,非アトピー性喘息患者においてはLTC4が,重要であることが,明らかになった。