Significance of Serum Eosinophil Cationic Protein and High-Sensitivity C-reactive Protein Levels in Patients with Allergic and Non-Allergic Inflammatory Diseases.
- Author:
Woo Ri JANG
1
;
Jong Weon CHOI
;
Chung Hyun NAHM
;
Yeon Sook MOON
;
Jin Ju KIM
;
Jeong Hee KIM
;
Dae Hyun LIM
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Eosinophil cationic protein; High sensitivity C-reactive protein; Eosinophil; Immunoglobulin E; Allergic disease
- MeSH: C-Reactive Protein; Child; Eosinophil Cationic Protein; Eosinophils; Humans; Immunoglobulin E; Inflammation
- From:Laboratory Medicine Online 2012;2(1):20-27
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
- Abstract: BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to evaluate the significance of serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels in children with allergic diseases and non-allergic inflammatory diseases, and to assess the relationships between serum ECP levels and inflammatory parameters. METHODS: In this study, we included 146 children with allergic diseases, 76 children with non-allergic inflammatory diseases, and 25 control subjects. Serum concentrations of ECP, hs-CRP, total IgE, and allergen-specific IgE were measured. RESULTS: Serum ECP levels (77.5+/-88.2 microg/L) of patients with allergic diseases were significantly higher than those of the patients with non-allergic inflammatory diseases (42.2+/-58.8 microg/L) and control subjects (12.7+/-4.2 microg/L) (P<0.001, respectively). The serum ECP levels in patients with non-allergic inflammatory diseases were also significantly higher than those in the controls (42.2+/-58.8 vs. 12.7+/-4.2 microg/L; P<0.001). The hs-CRP levels were significantly higher in patients with allergic diseases than in the controls (0.4+/-0.9 vs. 0.1+/-0.2 mg/dL; P<0.05). No significant relationship was observed between serum ECP and hs-CRP levels in the allergic patients (r=0.09, P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of serum ECP and hs-CRP concentrations can be helpful in the clinical evaluation and monitoring of patients with allergic diseases. No significant correlation was observed between serum ECP and hs-CRP levels in allergic patients, thereby suggesting that elevated levels of ECP do not necessarily reflect the degree of systemic inflammation in allergic diseases.
