@article{oai:nagasaki-u.repo.nii.ac.jp:00016615,
 author = {Tomari, Shinya and Matsuse, Hiroto and Hirose, Hiroko and Tsuchida, Tomoko and Fukahori, Susumu and Fukushima, Chizu and Kawano, Tetsuya and Matsuo, Nobuko and Kohno, Shigeru},
 issue = {4},
 journal = {Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases},
 month = {Nov},
 note = {BACKGROUND: Little is understood about the additive effects of leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA) on asthmatics currently medicated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long-acting beta(2)-agonists (LABA). OBJECTIVES: The present study examines the anti-inflammatory effects of the LTRA pranlukast in addition to ICS and LABA, among asthmatic patients with normal pulmonary function and unremarkable clinical symptoms. METHODS: Fifteen adult asthmatics participated in a 2-month, open-label, uncontrolled, prospective, multicenter, observational trial. Patients stabilized (predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s >80%) by medication with ICS and LABA were also given pranlukast (450 mg daily). Asthma-related symptoms, pulmonary function, blood eosinophil counts and several inflammatory markers in sputum were monitored at week 0, as well as at 4 and 8 weeks after starting therapy with pranlukast. RESULTS: Adding pranlukast did not further improve blood eosinophil counts, pulmonary function and symptoms, but significantly attenuated sputum cysteinyl leukotrienes, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-5 concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Although the clinical relevance remains obscure, adding an LTRA attenuates allergic airway inflammation in some asthmatics undergoing treatment with ICS and LABA., Respiration, 76(4), pp.398-402; 2008},
 pages = {398--402},
 title = {Observational study of the additive effects of pranlukast on inflammatory markers of clinically stable asthma with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta 2 agonists.},
 volume = {76},
 year = {2008}
}