Therapeutic advances in respiratory disease
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Ther Adv Respir Dis · Dec 2011
Neomacrolides in the treatment of patients with severe asthma and/or bronchiectasis: a retrospective observational study.
Previous studies have demonstrated that long-term low-dose macrolides are efficacious in cystic fibrosis (CF) and diffuse panbronchiolitis, two chronic neutrophilic airway diseases. ⋯ The results of this retrospective study suggest that neomacrolides may be useful as an add-on therapy in patients with severe asthma and/or bronchiectasis. Older age may predict good response in patients with severe asthma, whereas older age, male gender and a higher HRCT score for bronchiectasis may predict therapeutic response in patients with bronchiectasis only. Prospective controlled trials of neomacrolides in patients with severe asthma are needed to confirm these observations.