Purification and mass spectrometry identification of leukotriene D4 synthesized by human alveolar macrophages.

Human AM obtained by BAL from normal subjects and asthmatic patients converted [1-14C]-AA into a polar labeled metabolite. The structure of this metabolite, after two successive purifications on TLC (silicagel plates then reversed phase plates) and mass spectrometric analysis was shown to be identical to an authentic sample of LTD4. The amount of LTD4 recovered in the culture medium of AM was attempted to be related to pathological lung profile. In our experimental conditions AM from allergic asthmatics synthetized more LTD4 than cells from healthy subjects and from aspirin sensitive asthmatic patients.