Related Experiment Videos
Enhanced synthesis of cysteinyl leukotrienes in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
Objective:
Endogenous synthesis of cysteinyl leukotrienes in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) was investigated.
Methods:
Cysteinyl leukotriene synthesis was assessed by measuring the excretion of leukotriene E4 (LTE4) in urine by radioimmunoassay. The identity of urinary LTE4 was investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and 2,3-dinor-thromboxane B2 was measured with GC-MS.
Results:
Excretion of LTE4 into urine was significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced in children with JRA compared with that in healthy children (n = 10). Aspirin, in a dosage of 2.5 gm/day, had no effect on urinary LTE4 levels, but it reduced urinary 2,3-dinorthromboxane B2 levels by more than 85% in healthy adults. There was a positive correlation between LTE4 excretion and the number of affected joints.
Conclusion:
This study demonstrates a markedly enhanced cysteinyl leukotriene synthesis and a positive correlation between LTE4 excretion and the number of affected joints in children with JRA.