Related Experiment Videos
[Serum eosinophil cationic protein in children with allergic and nonallergic inflammation]
J A Gómez Carrasco1, A Blanco Quirós, E Arranz Sanz
1Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital Príncipe de Asturias, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid.
Insights
Serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) levels are elevated in some allergic children, correlating with bronchospasm and predicting short-term outcomes. ECP is not increased in non-allergic conditions like celiac disease.
Area of Science:
- Allergy and Immunology
- Pediatrics
- Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is a marker of eosinophil activation and inflammation.
- Elevated serum ECP levels are associated with allergic inflammation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate serum ECP levels in children with allergic rhinitis and acute asthma.
- To compare ECP levels in allergic children with healthy controls and children with non-allergic chronic conditions.
Main Methods:
- Serum ECP levels were measured in children with pollinosis, acute asthma, suspected allergies, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, and healthy controls.
- Correlations between ECP, peak flow, blood eosinophilia, and clinical outcomes were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Children with pollinosis showed elevated serum ECP, which persisted even when asymptomatic.
- Asymptomatic children with very high ECP (>20 µg/L) exhibited a negative correlation with peak flow and recovery from bronchospasm.
- ECP levels were not elevated in children with celiac disease or cystic fibrosis.
- ECP did not correlate with serum IgE but correlated with blood eosinophilia in non-atopic individuals.
Conclusions:
- Serum ECP is elevated in some allergic children and those with suspected allergies, but not universally.
- ECP is not increased in chronic mucosal inflammatory conditions like celiac disease or cystic fibrosis.
- Serum ECP correlates with bronchospasm and may predict short-term clinical evolution in allergic children.
Abstract:
Serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) levels increase in inflammation processes with activation of eosinophils. We studied serum ECP in (I) 32 pollinic children without symptoms, in June and October and (II) 10 children with acute asthma crisis. As control groups we included (III) 25 children sent to the hospital with suspected allergic diseases in which an IgE mediated process could be ruled out; (IV) 34 coeliac patients; (V) 15 children with cystic fibrosis and (VI) 48 normal children. The pollinic children had increased figures of ECP in June (21.2 +/- 9.2 micrograms/L) compared to normal controls (p < 0.001) and they continued to have high levels in October (13.5 +/- 9.2 micrograms/L, p < 0.05). The patients with very high ECP (> 20 micrograms/K), in spite of being asymptomatic, showed a negative correlation between ECP/peak-flow (p: 0.038). In addition, in these patients the ECP also had a negative correlation with the recovery of bronchospasm from June to October (p: 0.024). Some asthmatic children also had high ECP, but the results were too heterogeneous to draw any conclusions, possibly due to the drugs received. The ECP was independent of age and sex. It not correlated with serum IgE, nevertheless, in non-atopic patients it did correlate with blood eosinophilia (p < 0.005). In coeliac and cystic fibrosis patients, we did not find ECP to be increased. In conclusion, serum ECP increases in some allergic patients and suspected allergy, but not in all cases. It does not increase in other chronic mucosal inflammations, such as coeliac or cystic fibrosis. It correlates with bronchospasms and would have some value in predicting short-term evolution.