RESUMO
AIM: to study clinicomorphological efficacy of inhalation glucocorticosteroid budesonide (benacort, Pulmomed, Russia) in bronchial asthma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty patients with bronchial asthma were treated with budesonide. RESULTS: A response to budesonide was manifest to the end of treatment week 1. Budesonide reduced frequency of acute asthma episodes and the need in inhalations of short-acting beta 2-agonists. The peak expiratory velocity (PEV) rose by 12% in three months, variability of PEV lowered by 13%, in 6 months by 21%, in 12 months by 31% compared to pretreatment values. In 12 months hypersecretion and thickness of basal membrane decreased. Three-month treatment also reduced eosinophil and lymphocyte epithelial count and cell density of stromal infiltrate in bronchial mucosa. In 12 months cell density of stromal infiltrate diminished. CONCLUSION: Bronchial asthma treatment with budesonide for 12 months reduces 24 hour rate of acute asthma episodes, the need in the disease exacerbations, improves functional indices of respiration but morphological composition of bronchial mucosa does not normalize completely this showing the necessity of longer budesonide administration.