Relationship of granulocytic inflammation of bronches with the level of asthma control in patients with cold airway hyperresponsiveness under inhalation therapy of extrafine beclomethasone/formoterol

Introduction. Obstruction of small airways in asthma is accompanied by greater hypersensitivity to nonspecific irritants and inflammation activity, which is associated with a worsening of the clinical course of the disease. The combination of beclomethasone dipropionate/formoterol fumarate (BDP/FF), used in the form of an extrafine metered dose aerosol, is capable of having an anti-inflammatory effect on the small airways. Dynamic changes in the structure and function of granulocytes of inflammatory bronchial infiltrate after exposure to cold air in patients with asthma treated with BDP/FF have been little studied.

Aim. To study the nature of changes in eosinophil and neutrophil pools of bronchial granulocytes in asthma patients with cold airway hyperresponsiveness (CAHR) during long-term therapy with extrafine BDP/FF.

Materials and methods. The clinical study involved 25 asthma patients with CAHR. The design of the work included a questionnaire survey of patients using the Asthma Control Test (ACT) questionnaire, spirometry (Easy on PC, ndd Medizintechnik AG, Switzerland), an isocapnic hyperventilation by cold air (IHCA), collection and cytological examination of induced and spontaneously produced sputum. The examination was carried out at the beginning and after 12 weeks of BDP/FF therapy (100/6 μg, twice a day).

Results. 12-week treatment with extrafine BDP/FF led to an improvement in asthma control (ACT increased from 17.1±1.1 to 22.5±0.5 points, p˂0.001) and patency of small bronchi (increase in МEF₅₀ was 0.47±0.21 L/s, МEF_25-75 – 0.42±0.17 L/s). BDP/FF therapy had a positive effect on cellular inflammation, leading to a decrease in the number of eosinophils in sputum from 9.5 (3.0; 19.5) to 2.2 (1.3; 4.7)% (p˂0,05). A decrease in the number of eosinophils was also observed after cold bronchoprovocation: from 9.0 (2.8; 15.4) to 4.7 (2.8; 7.8)% (p˂0.05). There was no dynamics in neutrophils after BDP/FF treatment before and after IHCA (59.9±1.3 and 57.1±2.0%, respectively, p>0.05).

Conclusion. Improvement of disease control in asthma patients with CAHR after 12 weeks of therapy with extrafine BDP/FF is associated with the regulation of eosinophilic inflammation, a decrease in the number of eosinophils in the airways and suppression of the activity of the neutrophilic pool of bronchial granulocytes in response to cold bronchoprovocation. 

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