[Chemotactic serum activity for neutrophils and eosinophils and spontaneous production of histamine releasing factor in patients with seasonal bronchial asthma treated with nedocromil sodium].

Nedocromil sodium (NS- Tilade) is an effective therapeutic agent against asthma and has been shown to exhibit antiinflammatory activity in vitro. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of NS on the serum neutrophil (NCA) and eosinophil (ECA) chemotactic activity and mononuclear cells-derived histamine releasing factor (HRF) activity in 14 patients with seasonal allergic asthma. The chemotactic activities, HRF and bronchial reactivity to histamine (PC20H in mg/ml) were determined before the grass-pollen season and at the end of the 14-day placebo treatment and 21-day NS treatment during the pollen-season. NCA and ECA were assessed using of the Boyden chamber methods. Blood samples for mononuclear cells culture were collected during the trial. The supernatants were assayed for HRF activity with basophils from a single donor. The NCA index was unaltered during the trial. There was a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the ECA after the NS treatment period (ECA index--2.5) compared with out of season and after placebo treatment (ECA index, 1.88 and 1.82). HRF activity increased after placebo compared with out of season (HRF % activity--38.62 before season, 47.61 after placebo p < 0.05) but NS did not revealed the further effect on HRF activity (49.81 p > 0.05). During placebo the significant decrease in PC20H from 1.81 mg/ml to 0.54 mg/ml (p < 0.05) was observed. NS did not have the effect on nonspecific bronchial reactivity--PC20H--0.74 mg/ml (p > 0.05). The correlation between PC20H and spontaneous production of HRF activity was not found. The results indicate that NS has some effect on inflammatory process which takes place in seasonal asthmatic patients during the natural allergic exposure.