J Asthma Allergy Clin Immunol.  1998 Dec;18(4):681-688.

Clinical significance of eosinophil cationic protein ( ECP ) in bronchial asthma

• Yun YY
• Park JW
• Hong CS

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of serum ECP as a marker of the severity of asthma and extent of airway inflammation. METHOD: We investigated 108 patients suffering from bronchial asthma, who were classified as mild intermittent(n=19), mild persistent(n=27), moderate persistent(n=42), and severe persistent(n=20) and 10 healthy controls. Atopy was defined as those who showed >2+ responses on skin prick test. Serum ECP, peripheral blood eosinophil, sputum eosinophil, and PEFR were measured on the same date and meth~acholine PC20 were determined within 2 weeks.
RESULTS
Serum ECP levels were 10.1+- 2.0 ug/L in controls, and 29.1+- 23.6 ug/L in asthmatic patients. According to symptom severity, serum ECP levels were 22.9 +- 15.6 ug/L, 28. 6 +- 24.1 ug/L, 29.5 +- 22.2 ug/L, and 34.6 +- 31.2 ug/L in mild intermittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent and severe persistent asthmatic patients, respectively and there were no significant differences among four groups(p>0.05). Serum ECP levels correlated with peripheral blood eosinophil counts(r=0.48, p<0.01), but not with sputum eosinophil, PEFR, and methacholine PC20 levels. There was no significant difference in serum ECP level between atopic and non-atopic asthma(p>0.05).
CONCLUSION
Single measurevment of ECP level at clinic could not represent the severity of asthma.

Keyword

serum ECP; severity of asthma; peripheral blood eosinophil count

MeSH Terms

Asthma*
Eosinophil Cationic Protein*
Eosinophils*
Humans
Inflammation
Methacholine Chloride
Peak Expiratory Flow Rate
Skin
Sputum
Eosinophil Cationic Protein
Methacholine Chloride