Plasma concentrations of prostaglandins E2 and F2a in asthmatic patients

Plasma concentrations of prostaglandins E2 (PGE2) and F2a (PGF 2a) are studied in venous and arterial blood in 14 healthy subjects and 32 asthmatic patients. In the asthmatic patients we found: (1) a good correlation between PGE2 concentration in venous blood and the seriousness of the airway obstruction; (2) a good correlation between PGE2 and PGF2a in the arterial blood, but not in the venous blood; (3) a decrease in the arterial concentrations of PGE2 and PGF2a after fenoterol-induced bronchodilatation, but the variations of PGE2 and PGF2a still correlate. None of these results were obtained in normal subjects. It seems that the asthmatic allergic patient has a disorder of the metabolism of prostaglandins in the lungs; however, the results obtained do not allow us to say if it is a causal condition or a metabolic consequence of the bronchospasm. Concerning the venous blood, there could be an increase in the peripheral production of PGE2 which might result from the hypoxemia following airway obstruction.