Kraft M, Torvik J A, Trudeau J B, Wenzel S E, Martin R J
Department of Medicine, National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, Denver, CO 80206, USA.
J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1996 Jun;97(6):1242-6. doi: 10.1016/s0091-6749(96)70191-4.
Recent information suggests that one of the therapeutic properties of theophylline is an antiinflammatory effect.
We evaluated this potential effect of theophylline in eight patients with nocturnal asthma.
The study design was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover of 2-week treatment periods, separated by a 1-week washout period. Spirometry and bronchoscopy were performed.
Theophylline, compared with placebo, significantly improved the overnight decrement in lung function. The higher the nocturnal theophylline level, the greater the improvement in lung function. Theophylline also significantly decreased the percentage of neutrophils in the 4:00 AM bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and stimulated leukotriene B4 levels from macrophages obtained at 4:00 AM. The greater change in neutrophils correlated with increasing serum theophylline concentration. Also, the change in leukotriene B4 production was significantly correlated with the theophylline-induced decrement in lavage granulocytes (neutrophils and eosinophils).
This study suggests that one action of theophylline is to alter inflammatory cell number and function in nocturnal asthma and that it may do this through an leukotriene B4-mediated mechanism.
近期信息表明，茶碱的治疗特性之一是具有抗炎作用。
我们评估了茶碱对8例夜间哮喘患者的这种潜在作用。
研究设计为随机、双盲、安慰剂对照交叉试验，治疗期为2周，中间间隔1周的洗脱期。进行了肺功能测定和支气管镜检查。
与安慰剂相比，茶碱显著改善了夜间肺功能下降情况。夜间茶碱水平越高，肺功能改善越明显。茶碱还显著降低了凌晨4点支气管肺泡灌洗液中中性粒细胞的百分比，并刺激了凌晨4点从巨噬细胞中获取的白三烯B4水平。中性粒细胞的更大变化与血清茶碱浓度升高相关。此外，白三烯B4产生的变化与茶碱诱导的灌洗粒细胞（中性粒细胞和嗜酸性粒细胞）减少显著相关。
本研究表明，茶碱的作用之一是改变夜间哮喘中炎症细胞的数量和功能，且可能通过白三烯B4介导的机制来实现。
