Chronic neutrophilic airway inflammation is an important feature of cystic fibrosis (CF). Noninvasive inflammatory markers may be useful in monitoring CF. Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and interleukin (IL)-6 are inflammatory mediators that are increased in chronic neutrophilic inflammation. The aim of this study was to assess whether LTB4 and IL-6 were increased in exhaled breath condensate of CF patients and whether they could be used to monitor inflammation. Twenty patients with CF (13 males, age of 28 ± 9 years) were recruited together with 15 age-matched healthy subjects (8 males, age 35 ± 7 years). LTB4 and IL-6 levels were markedly elevated in patients with acute exacerbations (28.8 ± 4.3 and 8.7 ± 0.4 pg/ml) compared with control subjects (6.8 ± 0.7 and 2.6 ± 0.1 pg/ml, p < 0.0001). We also observed a decrease of exhaled LTB4 and IL-6 concentrations after antibiotic treatment in six patients who were followed until clinically stable (31.1 ± 4.4 and 9.5 ± 0.4 pg/ml vs. 18.8 ± 0.8 and 6.4 ± 0.2 pg/ml, respectively) and an increase in 15 CF patients infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (34.3 ± 5.0 and 9.3 ± 0.3 pg/m) compared with those infected with other bacteria (18.3 ± 0.7 and 6.9 ± 0.5 pg/ml). These findings suggest that LTB4 and IL-6 levels are increased in exhaled breath condensate of patients with CF during exacerbation and could be used to monitor airway inflammation in these patients.
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