Oral neutrophilic elastase in children with bronchial asthma

Abstract

Objective. Assessment of the level of functional activity and concentration of neutrophil elastase (NE) in patients with bronchial asthma (BA). Methods. The study involved 58 children 5-16 years old with allergic (n=35) and mixed (n=23) forms of BA, 31 children 7-17 years old of the control group (without allergic pathology). During the study, the functional activity (using human granulocyte elastase substrate Glp-Pro-Val-pNA) and the concentration (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) of neutrophil elastase in the oral fluid were assessed. Results. In patients with mixed BA on admission to the hospital, no statistically significant correlation was found between functional activity and concentration of NE (r=-0,015, p>0,05). After the treatment, the ratio in the BA group (both forms of BA) approached that in the control group (BA: r=0,475, allergic BA r=0,502, mixed BA r=0,459; control group: r=0,507; p<0,05). Conclusion. Determination of the functional activity and quantitative level of NE with the subsequent assessment of the «proteolysis-antiproteolysis» system can be considered as a marker of the mixed form of BA and the effectiveness of various basic therapy of the disease.