Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical effect of nedocromil sodium and its relationship with serum levels of inflammatory mediators by monitoring lung function and noninvasive markers of airway inflammation, such as eosinophil blood counts; serum ECP, sIL-2R, IL-4 and sICAM; and total IgE. Anti-inflammatory medications cause a reduction in the markers of airway inflammation, decrease the intensity of airway hyperresponsiveness, and improve clinical symptoms of asthma. Among the available choices is nedocromil sodium, which is favored in the treatment of asthmatic children due to its very mild side-effects. It has been previously shown to improve the clinical parameters of asthma, but there are limited data on its effect on inflammatory mediators in the serum of asthmatic children.
Methods: In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled 8-week trial, 39 children, aged 9-16 years, with moderate atopic asthma were randomly allocated to receive either nedocromil sodium, two puffs twice daily, 0.002 g/puff, or placebo, two puffs twice daily. The primary end points were the clinical parameters of asthma measured by asthma symptom score, FEV1, and PC20H. Other end points included the serum levels of various inflammatory markers - ECP, sIL-2R, IL-4, sICAM, and IgE.
Results: Clinical and inflammatory parameters improved with the use of nedocromil sodium, compared with placebo. Nedocromil significantly decreased serum levels of inflammatory markers, as shown in the following table. No correlation was found between any of the measured parameters.
Conclusion: Nedocromil sodium provided effective anti-inflammatory treatment for children with moderate atopic asthma.