Article Text
Abstract
Add-on azithromycin (AZM) significantly reduces exacerbations in poorly controlled asthma irrespective of disease phenotype. In a predefined substudy of the original AMAZES protocol (500 mg, three times a week for 48 weeks), we report that AZM treatment reduces key sputum inflammatory proteins (interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and extracellular DNA), which is more evident in non-eosinophilic asthma (NEA). Moreover, AZM reduced Haemophilus influenzae load only in NEA. Our data support the anti-inflammatory effects of AZM in poorly controlled asthma. Prospective studies are required to identify patients that derive greatest benefit from AZM add-on therapy.
- asthma
- asthma pharmacology
- respiratory infection
- cytokine biology
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Footnotes
Twitter @shaktishukla09, @jlgiffo
Contributors Conception and design: JLS, PGG, JWU, IY, PNR, SH and AJ. Data acquisition: JLS, PGG, JWU, IY, PNR, SH, AJ, ST and GBR. Data analysis and interpretation: JLS, DB, SDS, ST and GBR. Drafting manuscript: SDS, JLS, DB, ST and GBR. Revision and approval of final manuscript: All authors.
Funding This study was supported by National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (grant 569246) and NHMRC Centre for Severe Asthma, University of Newcastle.
Competing interests JWU reports personal fees from AstraZeneca, personal fees from GSK, personal fees from Novartis, personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, personal fees from Sanofi, outside the submitted work. PGG reports personal fees from AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, grants from AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, outside the submitted work.
Patient consent for publication Not required.
Ethics approval Ethical approval was granted by Hunter New England Human Research Ethics Committee (08/11/19/3.03)
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