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Biomedical subjects

G Z Lotner

Publications and source records attributed to G Z Lotner.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

The effectiveness of once-daily dosing of inhaled flunisolide in maintaining asthma control.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of switching to once-daily (qd) administration of flunisolide in patients with asthma that was controlled by twice-daily (bid) dosing of this inhaled steroid. METHODS: Three hundred sixty-six adults and children with bronchial asthma that was controlled with inhaled steroids were recruited for this prospective, double-blind, parallel-group study. After a 4-week, stable baseline period of flunisolide administration, 2 inhalations (500 microg) twice daily, each patient was randomized into one of four 12-week flunisolide treatment groups: group 1, 2 inhalations (500 microg) bid; group 2, 4 inhalations (1000 microg) qd in the morning; group 3, 4 inhalations (1000 microg) qd in the evening; or group 4, 2 inhalations (500 microg) qd in the morning. Outcome measures included morning and evening asthma symptoms (scale of 0 to 3), daytime and nighttime albuterol use, morning and evening peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), FEV1, and methacholine PC20. In addition, a subset of patients in each group had 24-hour urinary cortisol levels measured before and after randomization. RESULTS: Outcome measures in the four groups were not significantly different at baseline before randomization. The three groups that received maintenance therapy with flunisolide, 1000 microg daily, did not show significant changes from baseline values and remained comparable in all outcome areas. Asthma control in the group randomized to flunisolide 500 microg qd, however, deteriorated significantly: morning symptoms increased by 0.21 units (48%), evening symptoms increased by 0.15 units (31%), daytime albuterol use increased by 0.42 inhalations per day (37%), nighttime albuterol use increased by 0.48 inhalations per night (91%), morning PEFR decreased by 17.1 L/min (4%), and evening PEFR decreased by 12.6 L/min (3%). There were no significant changes in PC20 or 24-hour urinary cortisol levels in any group. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with asthma that was stabilized by 2 inhalations of flunisolide (500 microg) bid, switching to 4 inhalations (1000 microg) qd in either the morning or evening is effective in maintaining asthma control. Reducing the dose to 2 inhalations (500 microg) qd in the morning, however, leads to a deterioration in asthma control.

Administration, Inhalation

The use of ketotifen in the prophylaxis of seasonal allergic asthma.

This double-blind parallel group study evaluated ketotifen 1 mg bid versus placebo in the treatment of 30 adult seasonally allergic asthmatics during the course of the spring pollen season. Those individuals on placebo had a fall in FEV1 through the pollen season, those on Ketotifen generally did not, and some individuals, in fact, showed improvement. Those patients receiving ketotifen had fewer allergic symptoms, better exercise tolerance, and in general had a better spring. This study demonstrated that ketotifen may have some benefit in the treatment of adult allergic asthma.

Adolescent

Use of Seralyzer system for theophylline level determination in an office setting.

Theophylline levels were measured on 63 plasma samples by both high pressure liquid chromatography and Seralyzer methods with excellent correlation. Seralyzer results were obtained quickly and easily in an office setting and offered the additional advantage of allowing accurate measurements on finger-stick samples.

Blood Specimen Collection

Bioavailability of sustained-release theophylline granules in apple sauce in pediatric asthmatic patients.

To facilitate administration of sustained-release theophylline in pediatric patients fourteen children with asthma were studied using intact capsules versus the granular contents in apple sauce. In a cross-over study during multiple dose intervals the effectiveness of this administration technique was demonstrated for maintaining bioavailability and sustained-release characteristics.

Asthma

Comparison of nebulized terbutaline (TERB) and subcutaneous epinephrine (EPI) in the treatment of acute asthma.

The purpose of this study was to compare nebulized terbutaline 5 mg vs. subcutaneous epinephrine (1/1000, 0.3 cc) in the treatment of acute exacerbations of asthma in adult patients. Patients with a known diagnosis of asthma, who presented to the investigators in acute respiratory distress, without any previous adrenergic agents for six hours, were the subjects for this study. There were 33 patients enrolled in the study between 16 and 64 years of age. The results indicate both treatment groups gave significant increases in pulmonary function at all times when compared to baseline (p less than 0.001). Nebulized terbutaline and subcutaneous epinephrine appeared equally effective in the treatment of acute exacerbations of asthma, without significant differences in bronchodilator effectiveness or side effects.

Acute Disease

Generation and release of platelet-activating factor (PAF) from enriched preparations of rabbit basophils; failure of human basophils to release PAF.

Rabbit mononuclear cells containing up to 20% basophils and uncontaminated by neutrophils release PAF when stimulated with goat antiserum to rabbit IgE. The amount of PAF detected was a function of basophil concentration but decreased on a per cell basis at high basophil or high total cell concentrations. Calcium ionophore A23187, but not protein A, C5a, or FMLP, initiated rabbit basophil degranulation and PAF release. By contrast, extensive studies using a variety of human leukocyte preparations failed to demonstrate the release of significant levels of PAF from human basophils by IgE-dependent or -independent mechanisms. These results suggest that cells other than the peripheral blood basophil (e.g., the neutrophil) may act as the primary site of PAF production in man.

Animals

The release of a platelet-activating factor by stimulated rabbit neutrophils.

Normal rabbit peripheral blood neutrophils released a platelet-activating factor upon stimulation by opsonized zymosan. The liberation was Ca++ dependent and the time course of release was closely associated with phagocytosis. The material extracted into chloroform and exhibited an identical mobility by thin layer chromatography to basophil-derived, IgE-stimulated, platelet-activating factor (PAFb). It was similar to PAFb in its effect on platelets in both aggregation and release but was distinguished from ADP, thrombin, arachidonic acid, and thromboxanes. This factor appears to be responsible for some previously reported neutrophil-platelet interactions.

Animals