Hedman J, Hugg T, Sandell J, Haahtela T
Department of Pulmonary Diseases, South Karelia Central Hospital, Lappeenranta, Finland.
Allergy. 2006 May;61(5):605-10. doi: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2006.01073.x.
Randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate the effects of complementary treatments in asthma. This study assessed the effect of salt chamber treatment as an add-on therapy to low to moderate inhaled steroid therapy in asthma patients with bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR).
After a 2-week baseline period, 32 asthma patients who exhibited BHR in the histamine inhalation challenge were randomized: 17 to 2-week active treatment, during which salt was fed to the room by a salt generator, and 15 to placebo. The salt chamber treatment lasted 40 min and was administered five times a week.
Median provocative dose causing a decrease of 15% in Fev(1) (PD(15)FEV(1)) [corrected] increased significantly in the active group (P = 0.047) but not in the placebo group. The difference in changes between the active and placebo groups was significant (P = 0.02). Nine patients (56%) in the active group and two patients (17%) in the placebo group exhibited at least one doubling dose decrease in BHR (P = 0.040). Six patients (38%) in the active group and none in the placebo group became non-hyperresponsive (P = 0.017). Neither the peak expiratory flow (PEF) values measured just before and after the treatment, nor FEV(1) values measured before the histamine challenges, changed. The reduction in BHR was not caused by changes in the baseline lung function.
Salt chamber treatment reduced bronchial hyperresponsiveness as an add-on therapy in asthmatics with a low to moderate dose of inhaled steroids. The possibility that salt chamber treatment could serve as a complementary therapy to conventional medication cannot be excluded.
需要通过随机对照试验来评估辅助治疗对哮喘的效果。本研究评估了盐室疗法作为低至中度吸入性类固醇疗法的辅助治疗，对支气管高反应性（BHR）哮喘患者的疗效。
在为期2周的基线期后，对32名在组胺吸入激发试验中表现出BHR的哮喘患者进行随机分组：17名接受为期2周的积极治疗，在此期间通过盐发生器向室内输送盐，15名接受安慰剂治疗。盐室治疗持续40分钟，每周进行5次。
在积极治疗组中，使第一秒用力呼气容积（FEV₁）下降15%的激发剂量中位数（PD₁₅FEV₁）[校正后]显著增加（P = 0.047），而在安慰剂组中未增加。积极治疗组与安慰剂组的变化差异具有显著性（P = 0.02）。积极治疗组中有9名患者（56%），安慰剂组中有2名患者（17%）的BHR至少降低了一倍剂量（P = 0.040）。积极治疗组中有6名患者（38%）变为非高反应性，而安慰剂组中无患者出现此情况（P = 0.017）。治疗前后即刻测量的呼气峰值流速（PEF）值以及组胺激发试验前测量的FEV₁值均未改变。BHR的降低并非由基线肺功能的变化引起。
盐室疗法作为低至中度剂量吸入性类固醇哮喘患者的辅助治疗，可降低支气管高反应性。不能排除盐室疗法作为传统药物辅助治疗的可能性。
