Lipworth B J
Department of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, UK.
Lancet. 1999 Jan 2;353(9146):57-62. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(98)09019-9.
Leukotriene-receptor antagonists are the first novel class of antiasthma drugs to become available over the past three decades. They have an unique profile in that they are a hybrid of an anti-inflammatory and bronchodilator drug, and they can be taken as a tablet once or twice daily. The published data with leukotriene-receptor antagonists such as montelukast or zafirlukast show good antiasthmatic activity over a wide spectrum of asthma severity either as monotherapy or with inhaled steroids. Another potential spin-off of leukotriene-receptor antagonists is that they also seem to be effective in treating allergic rhinitis, which commonly coexists in patients with asthma. Here I overview the clinical pharmacology of leukotriene antagonists and appraise the published data from clinical trials, and look at the appropriate position of these agents in asthma management guidelines.
白三烯受体拮抗剂是过去三十年来首个上市的新型抗哮喘药物类别。它们具有独特的特性，即兼具抗炎药和支气管扩张剂的特性，并且可以每日服用一次或两次片剂。已发表的有关孟鲁司特或扎鲁司特等白三烯受体拮抗剂的数据表明，无论是作为单一疗法还是与吸入性类固醇联合使用，它们在广泛的哮喘严重程度范围内均具有良好的抗哮喘活性。白三烯受体拮抗剂的另一个潜在附带益处是，它们似乎对治疗过敏性鼻炎也有效，而过敏性鼻炎在哮喘患者中通常并存。在此，我概述白三烯拮抗剂的临床药理学，并评估临床试验发表的数据，同时探讨这些药物在哮喘管理指南中的适当地位。
