Hyperleukotrieneuria in patients with allergic and inflammatory disease

Cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs: leukotrienes C(4), D(4), and E(4)) have long been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma and several allergic diseases. LTE(4) has been identified as a major metabolite of LTC(4), and urinary LTE(4) (U-LTE(4)) is considered as the most reliable analytic parameter for monitoring the endogenous synthesis of CysLTs. From recent studies on the U-LTE(4) associated with adult stable asthma we identified four factors for hyperleukotrieneuria, namely, aspirin intolerance, eosinophilic nasal polyposis (ENP), vasculitis, and severe asthma. In ENP, there is prominent infiltration of eosinophils in the sinus and polyp tissues, which is linked to adult asthma and aspirin sensitivity, and ENP is the most important factor for the overproduction of CysLTs in asthmatics. We also demonstrated that anaphylaxis and eosinophilic pneumonia (EP) are associated with a marked increase in the U-LTE(4) concentration. Under these disease conditions, U-LTE(4) may be one of the candidate biomarkers. Moreover, the changes in U-LTE(4) concentrations may provide valuable information concerning therapeutic targets.