Siebert B, Kunkel G, Borner K, Staudinger H W, Böhm A, Steinijans V W
Rudolf-Virchow Universitätskliniken (Wedding), Abteilung für klinische Immunologie und Asthma-Poliklinik, Universitätsklinikum Charlottenburg, Berlin.
Pneumologie. 1991 Nov;45 Suppl 4:842-7.
In this randomised crossover study in 26 outpatients with bronchial asthma the efficacy of a new once-daily theophylline formulation given in addition to a baseline medication was investigated; moreover, under steady state conditions, the effect of three evening intake times (6, 8 and 10 p.m.) on 24-hour pharmacokinetics and peak-expiratory flow profiles was evaluated. The theophylline dose had been individually titrated. The pharmacodynamic results show a marked improvement in 24-hour lung function data after adding theophylline to a drug therapy including inhalative anti-cholinergics in 50% of the treated outpatients. No significant differences between the pharmacokinetic characteristics and the 24-hour averages (mesors) of peak expiratory flow at the three different intake times 6, 8 and 10 p.m. were found; however, intake at 10 p.m. resulted in the highest nocturnal excess of serum theophylline concentrations and the highest peak expiratory flow during the early morning hours between 2 and 6 a.m.
