[ OSH-Link Home
| IVI Online
| Comments ]
The association between urinary excretion of leukotriene-E4 (LTE4) and high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) was examined in order to determine whether HAPE involves inflammatory mechanisms. The study group consisted of 107 persons who were evaluated at five medical clinics in Summit County, Colorado, altitude 2,727 meters (m) or higher, during the ski seasons of February through April 1993 and November 1993 through April 1994. The subjects were divided into those with HAPE based on clinical diagnosis and their responses to a questionnaire and those without HAPE. The questionnaire also asked about demographic characteristics, smoking habits, alcohol use, habitual exercise, recent respiratory tract infections, use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) since their arrival in Colorado, and medical history including any previous episodes of acute mountain sickness Urine samples were collected and analyzed for LTE4. Seventy one subjects, 54 males, mean age 35 years (yr), were judged to have HAPE. Thirty six, 19 males, mean age 37yr, did not have HAPE and served as controls. Urinary excretion of LTE4 while at high altitude was significantly greater by the HAPE patients than the controls, the geometric mean (GM) concentrations being 123 versus 69 picograms per milligram creatinine (pg/mg). Urinary LTE4 excretion by the HAPE patients decreased significantly after they returned to low altitude, from a GM of 122pg/mg at altitude to 53.6pg/mg. Urinary LTE4 excretion was not associated with age, sex, time spent at high altitude, regular exercise, or recent use of alcohol and NSAIDS. Male sex, regular exercise, and recent use of NSAIDS were significantly associated with a clinical diagnosis of HAPE. The authors conclude that urinary LTE4 is increased in HAPE patients. Since increased production of LTE4 is associated with inflammation, this finding supports the view that inflammatory mechanisms may be involved in the etiology of HAPE.
Chest, 110(4):939-945, 1996. (37 references)
You can do a search of the OSH-DB database and get a list of articles on any topic of interest on our Visitor Search Page. Access to read the articles is limited to OSH-DB subscribers.