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Leukotriene Antagonists (leukotriene + antagonist)
Selected AbstractsSuppression of plasma matrix metalloproteinase-9 following montelukast treatment in childhood asthmaPEDIATRICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 6 2007SHIH-SUNG CHUANG Abstract Background: Montelukast and ketotifen are commonly prescribed anti-inflammatory medications used in the treatment of childhood asthma. Methods: To investigate the modulation effect of montelukast and ketotifen, the levels of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) and plasma matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were analyzed in a group of 30 children with mild persistent asthma. Results: Patients on montelukast therapy for 8 weeks had significantly decreased levels of eNO and plasma MMP-9, which were associated with improved symptoms and enhanced peak expiratory flow but not significantly associated with increased level of tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1). In contrast, treatment with ketotifen produced no significant changes in these parameters until 4,6 weeks into the therapy and no effect on plasma MMP-9. Conclusion: Leukotriene antagonists, such as montelukast, may be better non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for preventing airway inflammation in mild childhood asthma. [source] Development and validation of a sensitive LC-MS/MS method with electrospray ionization for quantitation of zafirlukast, a selective leukotriene antagonist in human plasma: application to a clinical pharmacokinetic studyBIOMEDICAL CHROMATOGRAPHY, Issue 6 2008D. Vijaya Bharathi Abstract A highly sensitive and specific LC-MS/MS method has been developed and validated for the estimation of zafirlukast (ZFK) with 500 µL human plasma using valdecoxib as an internal standard (IS). The API-4000 LC-MS/MS was operated under multiple reaction-monitoring mode using the electrospray ionization technique. The assay procedure involved extraction of ZFK and IS from human plasma with ethyl acetate. The resolution of peaks was achieved with 10 mm ammonium acetate (pH 6.4):acetonitrile (20:80, v/v) on a Hypersil BDS C18 column. The total chromatographic run time was 2.0 min and the elution of ZFK and IS occurred at approximately 1.11 and 1.58 min, respectively. The MS/MS ion transitions monitored were 574.2 , 462.1 for ZFK and 313.3 , 118.1 for IS. The method was proved to be accurate and precise at a linearity range of 0.15,600 ng/mL with a correlation coefficient (r) of ,0.999. The method was rugged with 0.15 ng/mL as lower limit of quantitation. The intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy values were found to be within the assay variability limits as per the FDA guidelines. The developed assay method was applied to a pharmacokinetic study in human volunteers following oral administration of 20 mg ZFK tablet. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Caring for patients with allergic rhinitisJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS, Issue 6 2007AE-C Nurse Practitioner, APRN-C, Certified Asthma Educator, Clinical Assistant Professor2), Mary Lou Hayden MS Abstract Purpose: Allergic rhinitis (AR) affects up to 40 million Americans, with an estimated cost of $2.7 billion per annum. This review discusses several therapeutic options that reduce the symptoms of AR, including allergen avoidance, antihistamines, intranasal corticosteroids (INS), leukotriene receptor antagonists, and immunotherapy. Data sources: The articles included in this review were retrieved by a search of Medline literature on the subjects of AR, antihistamines, INS, leukotriene antagonists, and immunotherapy, as well as current published guidelines for the treatment of AR. Conclusions: Allergen avoidance is recommended for all patients prior to pharmacologic therapy. Oral and nasal H1 -antihistamines are recommended to alleviate the mild and intermittent symptoms of AR, and INS are recommended as the first-line treatment choice for mild persistent and more moderate-to-severe persistent AR. Implications for practice: There are a number of different types of therapy for the management of AR; with so many options available, successful tailoring of treatment to suit individual requirements is realistically achievable. [source] Common characteristics of upper and lower airways in rhinitis and asthma: ARIA update, in collaboration with GA2LENALLERGY, Issue 2007A. A. Cruz This update aimed to review the new evidence available to support or refute prior Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) statements. A Medline search of publications between 2000 and 2005 was conducted, with articles selected by experts. New evidence supports previous ARIA statements, such as: (i) allergic rhinitis (AR) is a risk factor for asthma; (ii) patients with persistent rhinitis should be evaluated for asthma; (iii) most patients with asthma have rhinitis; (iv) a combined strategy should be used to treat the airways and (v) in low- to middle-income countries, a different strategy may be needed. The increased risk of asthma has also been found among sufferers from non-AR. Recent reports show AR is a global problem. Many studies demonstrated parallel increasing prevalence of asthma and rhinitis, but in regions of highest prevalence, it may be reaching a plateau. Factors associated with a reduced risk of asthma and AR have been identified, confirming previous findings of protection related to exposure to infections. Treatment of rhinitis with intranasal glucocorticosteroids, antihistamines, leukotriene antagonists or immunotherapy may reduce morbidity because of asthma. To take advantage of the paradigm of unified airways, there is a need to rationalize diagnosis and treatment to optimize management. [source] The use of sputum cell counts to evaluate asthma medicationsBRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 2 2001Krishnan Parameswaran Total and differential cell counts from hypertonic-induced, dithiothreitol-dispersed sputum provide reproducible measurements of airway inflammatory cell counts, which are responsive to treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs. They have helped to understand the kinetics of inflammatory cell changes in asthma after the reduction of corticosteroids and the subsequent re-introduction of treatment. They have identified that the presence of sputum eosinophilia in asthma, chronic cough and chronic airflow limitation is a predictor of steroid-responsiveness and of lack of ,asthma control'. They can be used to study the dose,response effect of inhaled corticosteroids and may be useful to establish the relative potency of different corticosteroid formulations and delivery devices. Sputum cell counts are also useful to study the potential anti-inflammatory effects of drugs like theophylline, long-acting ,-adrenoceptor agonists, leukotriene antagonists and newer drugs in development. They may be helpful to select add-on therapy to corticosteroids in ,difficult-to-control' asthma. [source] Antihistamines alone and in combination with leukotriene antagonists in nasal congestionCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY REVIEWS, Issue 3 2002A. Wilson Summary Although antihistamines are first-line treatment for allergic rhinitis and are effective at combating the majority of nasal and ocular symptoms associated with this disease, they are traditionally considered to be less effective at dealing with nasal congestion. Combination therapy with antihistamines and antileukotrienes has been shown to be an alternative treatment strategy in dealing with nasal symptoms, including congestion. However, recent studies have suggested that some of the newer antihistamines are effective in reducing nasal congestion in allergic rhinitis when used alone. For example, fexofenadine has been shown to have a beneficial effect on nasal congestion in a number of clinical studies investigating its efficacy and safety, as well as in combination therapy studies. This paper aims to review the available literature looking at combinations of antihistamines and antileukotrienes and single antihistamine therapy for reducing nasal congestion in allergic rhinitis, using subjective symptom scoring and/or objective measurements. [source] |