Modification of structural lipids in pathogenesis of asthma

Abstract

A comparative investigation of structural lipids in blood cells and low and high density lipoproteins was done in blood samples of 88 patients with different types of bronchial asthma and in 40 donors. Modifications of phospholipid spectrum were determined in the blood cells and the lipoproteins of asthma patients. The abnormality was expressed as a change in ratio between individual phospholipids which was connected with a significant deficiency of the main membrane phospholipid phosphathidylcholine and with increased level of its lysoform lysophosphathidylcholin. These modifications in the structural lipids allow to consider asthma as membrane pathology. We used different types of treatment such as glucocorticosteroids, diet, methylxanthines, adrenergic drugs. Positive effects on the lipoproteins were reached against the background of glucocorticosteroids and dietary therapy. The phospholipid modifications in the blood cells was conservative in all the used methods of treatment.