The leukotrienes are important lipid mediators with immune modulatory and proinflammatory
properties. Classical bioactions of leukotrienes include chemotaxis, endothelial adherence,
and activation of leukocytes, chemokine production, as well as contraction of smooth
muscles in the microcirculation and respiratory tract. When formed in excess, these
compounds play a pathogenic role in several acute and chronic inflammatory diseases,
such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. An increasing …