|
|
||||||||
1 10th Respiratory Dept, Athens Chest Hospital, and 2 University of Athens School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, and 3 Paediatric Pulmonology Unit, Dept of Paediatrics, University of Thessaly School of Medicine and Larissa University Hospital, Larissa, Greece
CORRESPONDENCE: E. Kostadima, Chrisostomou Smirnis 2, Larissa, Greece. Fax: 30 2410670838. E-mail: ealexop@yahoo.com
Keywords: Bronchial asthma, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, clarithromycin, macrolides
Received: October 22, 2003
Accepted January 23, 2004
A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study was designed to evaluate the effects of a semisynthetic macrolide antibiotic, clarithromycin, on bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine in patients with a diagnosis of asthma.
Adult asthma patients undergoing treatment with budesonide 400 µg b.i.d. and salbutamol 200 µg p.r.n. less than twice weekly were studied. Arm A (16 males/six females, aged 48±16 yrs) received clarithromycin 250 mg b.i.d. for 8 weeks, arm B (eight males/12 females, aged 42±12 yrs) clarithromycin 250 mg t.i.d. and arm C (six males/15 females, aged 41±16 yrs) placebo dextrose tablets. Bronchial hyperresponsiveness was quantified by measurement of the provocative dose of methacholine causing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in one second (PD20).
Median (interquartile range) PD20 in the three groups before and after treatment with clarithromycin were: arm A: 0.3 (0.11) and 1.3 (0.62) mg; arm B: 0.4 (0.10.9) and 2 (22) mg; and arm C: 0.4 (0.10.9) and 0.3 (0.10.6) mg, respectively. Serum free cortisol levels were determined and remained unchanged from baseline in the clarithromycin-treated patients.
It is concluded that clarithromycin reduces the degree of bronchial hyperresponsiveness in patients with asthma.
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
J. L. Simpson, H. Powell, M. J. Boyle, R. J. Scott, and P. G. Gibson Clarithromycin Targets Neutrophilic Airway Inflammation in Refractory Asthma Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., January 15, 2008; 177(2): 148 - 155. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
H. Kourlas Anti-inflammatory Properties of Macrolide Antibiotics Journal of Pharmacy Practice, October 1, 2006; 19(5): 326 - 329. [Abstract] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S C Bell, S L Senini, and J G McCormack Macrolides in cystic fibrosis Chronic Respiratory Disease, April 1, 2005; 2(2): 85 - 98. [Abstract] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E. Kostadima, S. Tsiodras, E. Alexopoulos, A. Kaditis, I. Mavrou, N. Georgatou, and A. Papamichalopoulos From the authors Eur. Respir. J., October 1, 2004; 24(4): 710 - 710. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G.P. Currie and D.K.C. Lee Methacholine and macrolides Eur. Respir. J., October 1, 2004; 24(4): 709 - 710. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |