1991 Volume 42 Issue 6 Pages 477-485
It has been already reported that; 1) critically ill patients have elevated levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) degradation products, 2) during acute alveolar hypoxia, there is a marked rise in adenosine, inosine, and hypoxanthine tissue levels and there appears to be a progressive degradation of ATP, and 3) following bronchial provocation with allergen, plasma levels of adenosine increase from a base line. However, measurement of the plasma adenosine levels and other nucleosides have not been reported for patients with lung diseases. To determine whether ATP degradation occurs in patients, we measured plasma levels of adenosine, guanosine, inosine, hypoxanthine, and xanthine in 46 patients with bronchial asthma, 4 patients with pulmonary emphysema, 44 patients with lung tuberculosis and seven control subjects. Patients with bronchial asthma had higher plasma levels of adenosine, guanosine, and xanthine than the control group. Patients with bronchial asthma in severe type had lower plasma levels of adenosine and guanosine than those in mild type. Our present study revealed elevated venous plasma levels of ATP degradation products in patients in comparison with control group. This elevation may reflect in part the presence of long disturbance of metabolism in patients.
