Abstract
IZUMI, H., HOSHI, S., MUE, S., TAKISHIMA, T., SATO, H. and AOKI, T. The Determination of Blood Histamine in Asthmatic Patients with a Simple and Sensitive Method. Tohoku J. exp. Med., 1984, 143 (1), 79-85-The histamine level of whole blood and plasma in asthmatic patients was estimated by means of a simple, sensitive and specific method, which was developed to measure low histamine levels. This method consists of the following procedures; the partial purification of histamine with a small P-cellulose column; its further purification with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); and fluorometric detection with precolumn o-phthaldehyde (OPT) reaction. The present assay could detect as little as 0.5ng of histamine concentration. Blood histamine levels in patient with asthmatic attack, 57±34ng/ml (mean±S.D. N=14), were significantly different from those in symptom-free period, 37±15ng/ml (N=15) as well as those in normal subjects, 36±17ng/ml (N=12). However, there were no significant differences among plasma histamine levels in normal subjects, 1.6±1.7 ng/ml (N=12) and, in asthmatic patients during attacks, 1.6±1.8ng/ml (N=14) and symptom-free periods, 1.6±1.7ng/ml (N=15). These results indicate that plasma histamine concentration does not increase during asthmatic attacks, even though there was significant increase of blood histamine concentration.-histamine; HPLC; bronchial asthma
