Wj. Calhoun et al., EFFECT OF NEDOCROMIL SODIUM PRETREATMENT ON THE IMMEDIATE AND LATE RESPONSES OF THE AIRWAY TO SEGMENTAL ANTIGEN CHALLENGE, Journal of allergy and clinical immunology, 98(5), 1996, pp. 46-50
In many patients with asthma, exposure to allergen results in worsenin
g symptoms, pulmonary dysfunction, and increased airway inflammation.
In this study, segmental allergen challenge and bronchoalveolar lavage
were used to evaluate the airway responses at 5 minutes and 48 hours
and to study the extent of inhibition of the response by pretreatment
with nedocromil sodium in eight subjects with allergic asthma in a dou
ble-blind, placebo-controlled trial. At 5 minutes after challenge, ned
ocromil sodium pretreatment significantly reduced histamine concentrat
ions, with a trend toward a concomitant reduction in tryptase levels.
Nedocromil sodium did not affect the increase in total protein, fetal
cell counts, or cell concentrations that occurred 48 hours after chall
enge but it did significantly reduce eosinophil recruitment. Eosinophi
l activation assessed as release of granule proteins, was unaffected.
A significant positive correlation was shown between the degree of his
tamine reduction at 5 minutes and the degree of reduction of eosinophi
l influx at 48 hours, raising the possibility that eosinophil influx i
nto the airway may depend on mediators or cytokines released during th
e immediate response to allergen.