Urinary leukotriene E-4 levels in patients with atopic dermatitis

Leukotriene synthesis may be increased in a variety of inflammatory diseases. Urinary leukotriene E-4 is a stable metabolite of leukotrienes C-4 and D-4 which has previously been found to be increased in exacerbations of severe asthma and after antigen inhalation. Levels of urinary LTE4 in seven patients during and after a severe flare of atopic dermatitis were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and radioimmunoassay (RIA). Mean urinary LTE4 levels (+/-SEM) were not increased during (16.7 +/- 3.7 pg/mu mol) or after (16.9 +/- 4.8 pg/mu mol) the acute exacerbation of atopic dermatitis when compared with the normal range (mean = 23.8 [95% confidence interval 19.9-28.2] pg/mu mol creatinine). These findings do not provide evidence of cysteinyl leukotriene involvement in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis.