Effects of low-dose of oral thephylline on sputum inflammatory cells and inflammatory mediators in patients with COPD / 中国医师杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of low-dose and sustained release oral theophylline on the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients.Methods Thirty four patients with stable COPD were randomly divided into two groupstheophylline group (n =18) was treated with slow-release theophylline (100 mg,twice daily),and placebo group (n =16) was given with placebo.Healthy non-smokers (n =12) were taken as control.The course of treatment was 12 weeks both of theophylline group and placebo group.The percentages of Neu/Leu and Mφ/Leu in sputum were detected before and after treatment and the concentrations of interleukin (IL)-17,IL-8,and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-et) were detected with enzyme linked immunosobent assay (ELISA).Results (1) Compared to pretreatment with theophylline group,the Neu/Leu was increased [(89 ±4.14)％ vs (83.4 ±6.98)％,P ＜0.05] and the Mφ/Leu was decreased [(6.4 ± 4.11) ％ vs (12.3 ± 6.96) ％,P ＜ 0.05] in the post-treated theophylline group.No significant changes in both Neu/Leu and Mφ/Leu were observed before and after placebo-treatment (P ＞ 0.05).(2) Compared to the control group,the concentrations of TNF-α,IL-8,and IL-17 in the sputum supernatant were significantly increased in both pretreatment and posttreatment with the theophylline or the placebo.Sputum TNF-α,IL-8,and IL-17 levels were significantly decreased in COPD patients who were given theophylline.Compared to pre-treatment with placebo group,the IL-8 and IL-17 levels were significantly increased in the post-treated placebo group (P ＜0.01).There was no significant change in TNF~ level between before and after treatment with the placebo.(3) The concentrations of IL-17,IL-8,and TNF-α in the sputum supernatant were positively correlated with the Neu/Leu counts (r =0.471,0.652,0.466,respectively,all P ＜0.01),negatively correlated with the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1 ％) (r =-0.516,-0.652,-0.496,respectively,all P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions Low-dose and sustained-release oral theophylline was efficient in improving airway inflammatory cells and inflammatory mediators,which plays an anti-inflammatory effect.