Asthma, Rhinitis, Other Respiratory DiseasesEffect of HFA-flunisolide on peripheral lung inflammation in asthma☆,☆☆
Section snippets
Study design
This was a single-center, open-label study in adult asthmatic patients to evaluate the effect of a small-particle, inhaled steroid (flunisolide HFA) on peripheral lung inflammation. The study was carried out in full compliance with FDA Guidelines for Good Clinical Practices and was approved by the institutional review board. Patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria underwent a baseline bronchoscopy when transbronchial and endobronchial lung biopsy specimens were obtained. Patients
Patient demographics
Twelve asthmatic patients were included in the study. Half of the patients were men; 11 of the patients were white. The mean age was 33 years (range, 22 to 41 years). The male patients had a mean weight of 98.9 kg and a mean height of 180 cm. The female patients had a mean weight of 66.3 kg and a mean height of 164 cm. All 12 patients completed the study, and no serious adverse events were reported.
Effect of HFA-flunisolide on parameters of lung function
At baseline, the mean FEV1 (3.02 L) was 78.7% of the predicted value, the mean FVC (4.4 L) was
Discussion
New HFA formulations of inhaled corticosteroids have been proven to be effective in treating asthma.22, 23 These formulations have a smaller particle size than the older CFC formulations and are capable of reaching the peripheral zones of the lung.18, 19, 20 Although all structures in the bronchi are involved in the inflammatory process underlying asthma, the small airways, defined as those <2 mm in diameter, have been understudied because of the difficulty in obtaining biopsy specimens from
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Supported by Forest Laboratories, New York. Hans-Peter Hauber is a recipient of a GSK/CLA/CIHR scholarship.
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Reprint requests: Qutayba Hamid, MD, PhD, Meakins-Christie Laboratories, 3626 St Urbain St, Montreal, Quebec H2X 2P2, Canada.