NTPDase activity in circulatory eosinophils from patients with allergic asthma

In this study we determined total NTPDase activity in leukocytes and eosinophil cells from acute asthma patients and healthy subjects using magnetic-activated cell sorting to separate eosinophils, and to determinate the activity we performed a enzyme kinetics with malachita green and ammonium molibdate counting inorganic phosphates release by the cells. Total leukocytes activity stimulated with 500 uM ATP from asthmatics patients presents a highly activity since the first minute than leukocytes from healthy subjects (p<0.014). In specific eosinophil NTPDase activity from asthmatics at the first minute the activity is higher than healthy (p<0.012) but at the end of the assay (10 min after) is lower (p<0.01). Although we observed a number of total eosinophil increased in asthmatic patient, as we expected (p<0.019), the activity is lower than healthy subjects. This results propose two hypothesis: first, that the increment of the number of total cells could counterbalances the failure in the NTPDase activity and last, that the activity from other inflammatory cells related in this pathology, as neutrophils, could be involved in this mechanism.
Source: European Respiratory Journal - Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Allergy and immunology Source Type: research