Eosinophil-derived neurotoxin levels in adults

<bold>Introduction:</bold> Although identifying eosinophilic inflammation is essential for asthma phenotyping and monitoring, the utility of blood eosinophil count is limited. Eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN) is a candidate marker for a better reflection of eosinophilic airway inflammation in asthma. <bold>Aim:</bold> To determine serum EDN levels and assess its relationship with asthma in adults. <bold>Method:</bold> Study sample consisted of 2939 adults recruited from a population-based adult cohort, the West Sweden Asthma Study. Serum samples of participants were measured for EDN levels using ImmunoCAP^TM. <bold>Results:</bold> Median serum EDN levels was 33.0 (interquartile range:23.0-49.0) ug/l. Men had higher serum EDN levels than women (37.0 (27.0-55.0) vs. 30.0 (21.0-45.0) ug/l). Subjects with current asthma had higher EDN levels, in both men and women, than subjects without asthma (Figure 1). Higher EDN levels were linked to current asthma (for each unit increase in logarithmic scale, AOR 4.81, 95%CI 3.49-6.64) (Figure 2). <bold>Conclusion:</bold> Serum EDN levels may provide a reliable indicator of the presence of current asthma in adults in a population-based setting, both in men and women. <fig><object-id>erj;64/suppl_68/PA4823/F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><graphic></graphic></fig> <fig><object-id>erj;64/suppl_68/PA4823/F2</object-id><object-id>F2</object-id><object-id>F2</object-id><graphic></graphic></fig>