[Potential of antiinflammatory therapy in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease]

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of erespal (fenspirid) on the clinical manifestations and parameters of inflammation in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD). The two stages of the study included 3-weak treatment during exacerbation periods and a 3-month outpatient follow-up during clinical remission periods. Erespal was administered twice a day in a total dose of 160 mg/day. The study included evaluation of clinical symptoms, respiratory function, bronchoscopic data, laboratory indices of inflammation, antioxydative status, life quality (LQ), as well as cytological and cytochemical analysis of induced sputum (IS). During exacerbation periods of COLD the researchers observed early and noticeable antitussive and mucolytic action of erespal, which were associated with lessening of bronchial obstruction and inflammation, significant fall of C-reactive protein level, cytosis in IS, proportion of neutrophiles (p < 0.01), elevation of lysosomal cation proteins in neutrophiles (p < 0.01), increase of total oxidant serum level (in 46.2% of the patients vs. 26.3% of the patients in the conventional therapy group). Long term (3 months) treatment with erespal led to further positive dynamics of clinical and laboratory indices of inflammation, and improved the results of cytological and cytochemical study of IS. The results of the study demonstrate that inclusion of erespal in complex therapy of COLD increases efficacy of treatment, due to its anti-inflammatory action during the periods of exacerbation and relative remission, prevents augmenting of bronchial obstruction, and improves patients' LQ.