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In vitro ketotifen protection in bronchial hyperreactivity
M Fernández1, H Córdoba, F Santos
1University of Navarra, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, Pamplona, Spain.
Journal of Investigational Allergology & Clinical Immunology
|December 1, 1991
Summary
Ketotifen prevents exercise-induced bronchospasm by stabilizing basophil cells, reducing histamine release in asthma patients. This study investigated ketotifen
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Allergy and Immunology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Bronchospasm is a common symptom in asthma, often triggered by exercise.
- Ketotifen is a medication known to inhibit bronchospasm through various mechanisms.
- Basophil cells play a role in allergic reactions and histamine release.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of ketotifen on basophil cell counts and histamine levels in patients with extrinsic bronchial asthma.
- To determine if ketotifen's stabilization of basophils explains its prophylactic effects against exercise-induced bronchospasm.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 22 patients diagnosed with extrinsic bronchial asthma and Dermatophagoides sensitization.
- Comparison between a control group and patients treated with ketotifen.
- Exercise testing with blood sample collection before and after to measure leukocytes and histamine levels.
Main Results:
- Untreated patients showed an increase in basophils post-exercise, unlike the control and ketotifen-treated groups.
- Ketotifen treatment appeared to stabilize basophil cells, preventing their degranulation.
- This stabilization correlated with reduced histamine liberation, mitigating bronchospasm.
Conclusions:
- Ketotifen demonstrates a stabilizing effect on basophil cells in asthma patients.
- This mechanism, by hindering degranulation and mediator release, contributes to ketotifen's efficacy in preventing exercise-induced bronchospasm.