Effects of beclomethason/formoterol and budesonide/formoterol fixed combinations on lung function and airway inflammation in patients with mild to moderate asthma - An exploratory study

摘要

Rationale: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease of the whole bronchial tree. In this exploratory study we investigated the effects of beclomethasone/formoterol (becl/form) and budesonide/ formoterol (bud/form) fixed combinations on lung function and airway inflammation in patients with mild to moderate asthma.Methods: 22 adult patients with asthma (mean FEV1 91.6% pred.) were recruited to this prospective phase IV, double-blind, double-dummy, two-way cross-over, single-centre, randomised study. After a 7 days run-in period with bud 200 ug bid patients were randomised to receive 4 weeks of becl/form (100/ 6 mug) bid in a pressurised metered dose inhaler or bud /form (160/4.5 ug) bid administered via dry powder inhaler. We measured spirornetry, bodyplethysmography, impulse oscillometry, nitric oxide (NO) and its alveolar fraction (C_AlV), and assessed sputum cellularity.