ROLE OF PLASMA EOTAXIN IN WHEEZING INFANTS

Abstract

Asthma is a complex disorder characterized by paroxysmal airways constriction, an increased responsiveness of the airway to inhaled allergens and intlammaiory cells infiltrate. Transient wheezers who have recurrent episodes of wheeze associated with acute viral respiratory infections, come from non atopic families and have no evidence of atopy themselves, these infants usually out grow their symptoms in the preschool years and have no evidence of subsequent asthma. Chemokines are central regulatory molecules in inOammatory, immune and infectious processes of the lung, to assess the role of plasma eotax in in recurrent wheezy. infants, 50 patients (38 diagnosed as asthmatics and 12 as transient wheezers) and 20 age matched healthy controls from 6 months to 3 years were enrolled in this study. The results of this study showed that asthmatics had statistically significant high level of eotaxin in comparison to those of transient wheezers at all age group from I - 3 years. Also there was a positive correlation between mean level of plasma eotaxin and grade of asthma suggesting that eotaxin has a pivoted role in mediating the pathogenesis of respiratory tract inflammation in recurrent and prolonged wheezing. So, it may help to identify novel therapeutic options directed at immunomodulation of bronchial asthma and transient wheezers.