[Quality of life and characteristics of the external respiration function in patients with bronchial asthma]. / Kachestvo zhizni i pokazateli funktsii vneshnego dykhaniia u bol'nykh s bronkhial'noi astmoi.

AIM: To investigate correlations between quality of life, bronchial obstruction, nonspecific bronchial hyperreactivity (NSBH) and response of these parameters to treatment with inhalation steroids in patients with bronchial asthma (BA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 67 BA patients (47 women and 20 men) aged 18 to 62 years (mean age 43 years). 59 of them had the diagnosis of atopic BA, 8 had bacterial BA. Quality of life was assessed with the questionnaire AQLQ, bronchial obstruction was judged by forced expiratory volume per a second (FEV1). Bronchial hyperreactivity was studied with acetylcholine and histamine tests. RESULTS: Quality of life strongly correlated with FEV1 and NSBH. Positive changes in the latter due to treatment with inhalation glucocorticoid budesonide (400 mcg/day) entailed improvement of life quality. CONCLUSION: Bronchial obstruction and NSBH have a significant effect on BA patients' life quality which should be considered in monitoring of BA patients' condition.

[Hydrogen peroxide--a marker for respiratory tract inflammation in patients with bronchial asthma]. / Perekis' vodoroda kak marker vospaleniia dykhatel'nykh putei u bol'nykh bronkhial'noi astmoi.

AIM: To test H2O2 as a marker of respiratory tract inflammation in patients with bronchial asthma (BA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study entered 70 patients (20 males and 50 females) with atopic asthma (AA) aged 18 to 62 years (mean age 32.6 years). H2O2 concentration in the expired air (CEA) was determined spectrophotometrically (Gallati & Pracht, 1985), content of eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) in blood--with radioimmunoassay kits (Pharmacia & Upjohn, Sweden). Forced expiratory volume per 1 second (FEV1) was used for assessment of severity of bronchial obstruction. Bronchial hyperreactivity was studied by means of the histamine bronchoprovocative test. RESULTS: H2O2 in CEA in BA patients was higher than in healthy subjects (0.127 +/- 0.010 microm/l vs 0.024 +/- 0.004 microm/l). H2O2 concentration significantly correlates with FEV1 (r = -0.449; p < 0.001), bronchial hyperreactivity to histamine (rs = -0.382; p < 0.05) and ECP in blood plasma(r = 0.625; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: It was proved possible to use H2O2 in CEA for evaluation of respiratory inflammation in BA patients.

[Efficacy of lomefloxacin in treatment of patients with chronic bronchitis]. / Effektivnost' lomefloksatsina pri lechenii bol'nykh khronicheskim bronkhitom.

Comparative efficacy of lomefloxacin (400 mg daily for 5 days) and roxithromycin (150 mg daily for 5 days) was studied in the treatment of 24 patients (12 males and 12 females) at the age of 39 to 83 years (the average age of 59 years) with exacerbation of chronic obstructive bronchitis. The efficacy was estimated by the clinical data and the results of the bacteriological analysis of the sputum. The drugs were shown to be equivalent in their clinical and microbiological efficacies. The use of the drugs should be based on the results of the sputum bacteriological analysis and the pathogen susceptibility tests. The tolerance of roxithromycin and lomefloxacin was good. No significant adverse events were recorded.