Efficacy of antiinflammatory therapy in patients with severe asthma and cold air-provoked bronchial hyperresponsiveness

The aim of this study was to assess effects of antiinflammatory therapy with leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTA) and/or combination of an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and a long-acting β2-agonist (LABA) on the clinical course and airway inflammatory patterns in patients with severe asthma and cold air-provoked bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Methods. Asthma symptoms, lung function, and spontaneous sputum cytology were assessed at baseline and after 24 weeks of the therapy. Subgroup analysis was performed for patients with sputum eosinophils < 61% and sputum neutrophils < 61%. Eosinophilic patients were treated with fluticasone propionate/salmeterol, neutrophilic patients with treated with fluticasone propionate/salmeterol plus montelukast during 24 weeks. The control of the disease was assessed using Asthma Control Test (ACT). Results. After 24-wk treatment, eosinophilic patients improves asthma control from 10.9 ± 0.5 to 19.6 ± 1.3 according to ACT questionnaire (р < 0.001), FEV1 improved from 45.9 ± 3.7% pred. to 79.2 ± 2.2% pred. (р < 0.001). Sputum eosinophil number decreased from 27.9 ± 2.1% to 7.1 ± 1.9% (р < 0.001); sputum neutrophil number decreased from 21.1 ± 2.1% to 8.7 ± 2.3% (р < 0.001). In neutrophilic patients, ACT score improved from 8.9 ± 0.6 to 15.9 ± 1.2 (р < 0.001), FEV1 improved from 42.9 ± 2.6% pred. to 72.3 ± 2.5% pred. (р < 0.001). Sputum neutrophil number decreased from 76.8 ± 3.7 to 52.2 ± 4.3 % (р < 0.001); Sputum eosinophil number decreased from 8.1 ± 0.7% to 6.2 ± 0.4% (р < 0.05). After 24 weeks of the treatment, partial control of asthma (ACT 20 -24) was achieved in 63% and 29% of patients in eosinophilic and neutrophilic groups, respectively (χ2 = 1.81; р > 0.05) after treatment. Conclusion. Adding montelukast to the combined therapy with fluticasone propionate/salmeterol in patients with severe asthma, cold air-provoked bronchial hyperresponsiveness and increased sputum neutrophils did not resulted in better control of the disease. The analysis of airway inflammatory pattern could be used as an additional marker to predict treatment efficiency.