Canadian respiratory journal : journal of the Canadian Thoracic Society
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Protective effects of fluticasone on allergen-induced airway responses and sputum inflammatory markers.
A direct comparison of the protective effects of single and regular doses of inhaled glucocorticoid on allergen-induced asthmatic responses and inflammation has not been made. ⋯ Two weeks of regular inhaled fluticasone discontinued 24 h before allergen challenge does not offer any additional protection against the early or late asthmatic responses, increased airway responsiveness or sputum eosinophilia compared with a single dose of 250 microg immediately before allergen challenge, despite increasing baseline PC20 and decreasing sputum eosinophilia prechallenge. The significance of the protective effect of a single dose of inhaled steroid before an allergen inhalation and the duration of the protective effect need further investigation.