Eosinophil production of prostaglandin D in patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease.

Background: Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) differs from aspirin-tolerant disease in part because of eosinophilic tissue infiltration and overexpression of arachidonic acid metabolic pathway components that lead to enhanced secretion of cysteinyl leukotrienes and prostaglandin (PG) D observed constitutively and paradoxically in response to aspirin and other COX inhibitors. We have previously demonstrated the capacity of IFN-γ to drive cysteinyl leukotriene expression and response.

Objective: We investigated eosinophils as a source of PGD production in patients with AERD.

Serum detection of thymidine kinase 1 as a means of early detection of lung cancer.

Background: Thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) is a biomarker elevated in several malignancies, including lung cancer. Up-regulation of TK1 is an early event in carcinogenesis and therefore a target for early cancer detection. We have developed a novel Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) to detect TK1 in serum.