[Changes in serum eosinophil cation protein level and blood eosinophil density in patients with asthma]

To study the functional state as well as the relation-ship between eosinophil and T lymphocyte in the asthmatics, the authors measured the eosinophil density of blood with percoll, the level of serum eosinophil cation protein (ECP) with radioimmunoassay and soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) concentration with ELISA. The results revealed that the proportion of hypodense eosinophil and the levels of serum ECP and sIL-2R were 36.3% +/- 14.80%, 10.74 +/- 7.22 mg/L and 0.33% +/- 10 U/L respectively in asthmatics, being significantly higher than those in normal subjects (14.71% +/- 8.20%, 6.93 +/- 4.91 mg/L, 0.13 +/- 0.03 U/L, respectively, P < 0.05 in all). There is remarkable correlation between any two of the three parameters (r = 0.40, 0.37, 0.39, respectively, P < 0.05). It is suggested that eosinophil activation is associated with T lymphocyte activation, both may be involved in the pathogenesis of asthma.