Histamine, Basophils and Eosinophils in Severe Asthma

Abstract

1.Arterial and venous whole blood and plasma histamine concentrations and eosinophil and basophil counts were determined in five patients with acute severe asthma who had not previously received steroid therapy, in five who had been maintained on steroid therapy and in a control group of nine patients with acute non-respiratory illnesses.2. No significant arteriovenous differences were observed for any of these measurements in any of the groups of patients. Significant net loss of arterial histamine does not therefore occur peripherally in acute asthma.3. When compared with the values for the controls, statistically significant increases were observed, in the group not receiving steroids, for arterial and venous whole blood histamine concentrations, eosinophil counts and basophil counts, and, in those receiving steroids, for the venous basophil counts.4. When compared with the venous plasma histamine concentration of normal subjects, that of the asthmatic subjects not receiving steroids was significantly raised.5. The venous plasma histamine concentration of the control group was also significantly higher than that of normal subjects, but less so than in the asthmatic subjects, suggesting that acute illness per se produces an increased plasma histamine concentration.

H1- and H2-receptor antagonists prevent histamine release in allergic patients after the administration of midazolam-ketamine. A randomized controlled study

“…Regarding the patient with asthma, the number of eosinophils in the blood increased [24,25], and there was a significant correlation between the peripheral blood eosinophil counts and the severity of asthma [26,27]. The eosinophil count in the peripheral blood was well reflected in the pathophysiologic process, which was responsible for bronchial asthma, moreover, the relationship between allergic diseases and eosinophils has also been suggested.…”

Biorhythmic changes of plasma histamine levels in healthy volunteers

“…This study on twelve healthy volunteers aging from 23 to 31 years shows mean plasma histamine levels which are in the lower scale of that reported previously [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. We determined values between 0.06+0.05 ng/ml and 0.21 _+0.14 ng/ml in contrast to the formerly reported range of 0.3 to 2 ng/ml.…”

“…Both findings support the postulation that biorhythmic changes in plasma histamine levels can generally be assumed despite the works of Barnes [9] and Morr [10], who did not succeed in producing evidence for such biorhythmic changes of plasma histamine in healthy volunteers but showed -amongst other authorsa significant increase in nocturnal histamine levels in asthmatic patients. Plasma histamine levels are reported to cover the rarige between 0.3 and ~2ng/ml in normal nonallergic volunteers [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18], but a study on the kinetics of the plasma histamine levels is not available (in literature) to the present day. In this respect the studies of Barnes [9] and Morr [10] are only of limited value due to the limited number of blood samples drawn.…”

Blood basophils in lung cancer

“…Changes in basophil count with allergic conditions have been more firmly established. Kimura et al (1973) showed raised basophil counts before and low counts after an attack of bronchial asthma, and this was confirmed by Charles et al, (1979). Hirsch et al (1974) introduced a thicksmear method for obtaining an absolute basophil count directly, by counting basophils in 2 ul of blood and halving the result.…”