Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Elevated concentrations of leukotriene D4 in pulmonary edema fluid of patients with the adult respiratory distress syndrome

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Journal of Clinical Immunology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The possible contribution of metabolites of arachidonic acid to the increased permeability of the alveolar-capillary barrier in the adult respiratory distress syndrome was examined by quantifying the pulmonary edema fluid concentrations of lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase products. The concentration of leukotriene D4 in pulmonary edema fluid of 10 patients with the adult respiratory distress syndrome (18.5±6.8 pmol/ml; mean±SD), assessed by specific radioimmunoassay after isolation of the mediator, was significantly higher (P<0.001) than that of five patients with cardiogenic pulmonary edema (4.4±1.1 pmol/ml). The concentrations of leukotrienes B4 and C4, prostaglandin E2, and thromboxane B2 in edema fluid were not significantly different in the adult respiratory distress syndrome patients than in the other subjects with pulmonary edema. The edema fluid concentration of leukotriene D4 correlated with the ratio of edema fluid to plasma concentrations of albumin (r=0.64). Leukotriene D4 thus may contribute to the permeability defect which allows an accumulation of proteinrich alveolar fluid in the adult respiratory distress syndrome.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Brigham KL, Woolverton WC, Blake LH, Staub NC: Increased sheep lung vascular permeability caused by Pseudomonas bacteremia. J Clin Invest 54:792–804, 1974

    Google Scholar 

  2. Anderson RR, Holliday RL, Driedger AA, Lefcoe M, Reid B, Sibbald WJ: Documentation of pulmonary capillary permeability in the adult respiratory distress syndrome accompanying human sepsis. Am Rev Resp Dis 119:869–877, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  3. Fein A, Grossman RF, Jones JG, Overland E, Pitts L, Murray JF, Staub NC: The value of edema fluid protein measurement in patients with pulmonary edema. Am J Med 67:32–39, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  4. Heflin AC, Brigham KL: Prevention by granulocyte depletion of increased vascular permeability of sheep lungs following endotoxemia. J Clin Invest 68:1253–1260, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  5. Zimmerman GA, Renzetti AD, Hill HR: Functional and metabolic activity of granulocytes from patients with the adult respiratory distress syndrome. Am Rev Resp Dis 127:290–300, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  6. Saldeen T: The microembolism syndrome. Microv Res 11:227–259, 1976

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bone RC, Frances PB, Pierce AK: Intravascular coagulation associated with the adult respiratory distress syndrome. Am J Med 61:585–589, 1976

    Google Scholar 

  8. Till GD, Johnson KJ, Kunkel R, Ward PJ: Intravascular activation of complement and acute lung injury. J Clin Invest 69:1126–1135, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hammerschmidt DE, White JG, Craddock PR, Jacobs HS: Corticosteroids inhibit complement-induced granulocyte aggregation. J Clin Invest 63:789–796, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  10. Voelkel NF, Simpson J, Worthen S, Reeves JT, Henson PM, Murphy RC: Platelet-activating factor causes pulmonary vasoconstriction and edema via platelet-independent leukotriene formation.In Advances in Prostaglandin, Thromboxane, and Leukotriene Research, Vol 12, B Samuelsson, R Paoletti, P Ramwell (eds). New York, Raven Press, 1983, pp 179–183

    Google Scholar 

  11. Dahlen S, Bjork J, Hedqvist P: Leukotrienes promote plasma leakage and leukocyte adhesion in postcapillary venules: In vivo effects with relevance to the acute inflammatory response. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 78:3887–3891, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  12. Weinberg PF, Matthay MA, Webster RO, Roskos KV, Goldstein IM, Murray JF: Relationship between complement activation and acute lung injury in patients with sepsis syndrome. Am Rev Resp Dis 130 (in press) 1984

  13. Pepe PE, Potkin RT, Holtman D, Hudson LD, Carrico CJ: Clinical predictions of the adult respiratory distress syndrome. Am J Surg 144:124–130, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  14. Fowler AA, Hamman RF, Good JT, Benson KN, Baird M, Eberle DJ, Petty TL, Hyers TM: Adult respiratory distress syndrome: Risk with common predispositions. Ann Intern Med 98:593–597, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  15. Rodkey FL: Direct spectrophotometric determination of albumin in human serum. Clin Chem 11:478–487, 1965

    Google Scholar 

  16. Cannon DC, Olitzky I, Inkpen JA: Proteins.In Clinical Chemistry, Principles and Techniques, RJ Henry, DC Cannon, J Winkteman (eds). New York, Harper & Row, 1974, pp 405–502

    Google Scholar 

  17. Goetzl EJ, Phillips MJ, Gold WM: Stimulus specificity of the generation of leukotrienes by dog mastocytoma cells. J Exp Med 158:731–737, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  18. Lindgren JA, Hammarstrom S, Goetzl EJ: A sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay for leukotriene C4. FEBS Lett 152:83–88, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  19. Hayes E, Lombardo DL, Girard Y, Maycock AL, Rokach J, Rosenthal AS, Young RN, Ega RW, Zweerink HJ: Measuring leukotrienes of slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis: Development of a specific radioimmunoassay. J Immunol 131:429–433, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  20. Carlson RW, Schaeffer RC, Carpio M, Weil MH: Edema fluid and coagulation changes during fulminant pulmonary edema. Chest 79:43–49, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  21. Lewis RA, Austen KF, Drazen JM, Clark DA, Marfat A, Corey EJ: Slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis: Identification of leukotrienes C-1 and D from human and rat sources. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 77:3710–3715, 1980

    Google Scholar 

  22. Holtzman MJ, Aizawa H, Nadel JA, Goetzl EJ: Selective generation of leukotriene B4 by tracheal epithelial cells from dogs. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 114:1071–1076, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  23. Hammarstrom S, Lundberg JM, Xiao-Ying H, Dahlen SK: Action and metabolism of circulating leukotriene C. J Allergy Clin Immunol (in press), 1984

  24. Saga T, Yoshii K, Said SI: Protection by FPL 55712 or indomethacin of leukotriene D4-induced pulmonary edema and airway constriction in guinea pig lungs. Am Rev Resp Dis 129:333(A), 1984

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Howard Hughes Medical Institute Laboratories, Cardiovascular Research Institute, and Departments of Medicine and Anesthesia, University of California Medical Center, 94143, San Francisco, California

    Michael A. Matthay, William L. Eschenbacher & Edward J. Goetzl

Authors
  1. Michael A. Matthay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. William L. Eschenbacher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Edward J. Goetzl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This work was supported in part by Grants HL31809, HL25816, HL19155, and AI19784 from the National Institutes of Health.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Matthay, M.A., Eschenbacher, W.L. & Goetzl, E.J. Elevated concentrations of leukotriene D4 in pulmonary edema fluid of patients with the adult respiratory distress syndrome. J Clin Immunol 4, 479–483 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00916578

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00916578

Key words

Search

Navigation