Detection of leukotrienes in the serum of asthmatic and psoriatic patients

Purified serum samples from asthmatic and psoriatic patients and healthy controls were analysed by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the amounts of leukotrienes were measured from the corresponding HPLC fractions by specific radioimmunoassays. In the serum of healthy controls the amounts of leukotrienes B4, C4 and D4 were very small or negligible. Rather great amount of leukotriene B4 was, however, detected in the serum of many asthmatic and psoriatic patients. The amount of leukotriene B4 was in the serum of asthmatic patients 120 +/- 20 pmol/ml (n = 11, mean +/- SEM) and in that of psoriatic patients 100 +/- 10 pmol/ml (n = 10). The amounts of leukotrienes C4 and D4 were rather small in the serum of most patients. The amount of leukotriene C4 was, however, very high (250 pmol/ml) in the serum of a psoriatic patient. Significant amount of leukotriene D4 was also detected in the serum of this patient. The present study indicated that leukotrienes are formed during blood clotting in the leukocytes of asthmatic and psoriatic patients and that the rate of formation is so high that leukotrienes may have a role in these diseases.