Enzyme Identifies Aspirin Intolerance in Asthma Patients

Measuring urinary leukotriene E4 (ULTE4) levels in patients with asthma can help identify aspirin intolerance, according to new research.

Researchers agree that a simple blood or urine test is needed to detect aspirin intolerance in patients with asthma, but none is currently available. The present research brings them one step closer to developing such a test.
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To determine whether ULTE4 is an accurate biomarker for aspirin intolerance, researchers searched 3 online databases for clinical studies that analyzed ULTE4 in patients with asthma who were and were not aspirin intolerant. A total of 867 studies were identified, and 10 studies were analyzed.

After reviewing patients’ ULTE4 levels, researchers found that conducting a radioimmunoassay is most successful at predicting aspirin intolerance, with a diagnostic odds ratio of 17.33. The Cayman Enzyme Immunoassay (12.27), mass spectrometry (11.70), and Amersham Enzyme Immunoassay (6.11) were also assessed.

“This study defines the diagnostic testing accuracy of ULTE4 in determining aspirin intolerance in asthma,” researchers concluded.

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Hagan JB, Laidlaw TM, Divekar RD, et al. The diagnostic testing accuracy of urinary leukotriene E4 in determining aspirin intolerance in asthma: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2016;137(2):AB390. Suppl. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2015.12.1209.