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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2007 Jul 14;8(1):52.
doi: 10.1186/1465-9921-8-52.

Comparison of the effects of salmeterol/fluticasone propionate with fluticasone propionate on airway physiology in adults with mild persistent asthma

Catherine M Houghton  1 , Naomi Lawson, Zoe L Borrill, Claire L Wixon, Sally Yoxall, Stephen J Langley, Ashley Woodcock, Dave Singh
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Comparison of the effects of salmeterol/fluticasone propionate with fluticasone propionate on airway physiology in adults with mild persistent asthma

Catherine M Houghton et al. Respir Res. .

Abstract

Background: This study compared the effect of inhaled fluticasone propionate (FP) with the combination of salmeterol/fluticasone propionate (SFC) on lung function parameters in patients with mild asthma.

Methods: Adult patients with mild persistent asthma (> or = 80% predicted FEV1) receiving 200-500 mug of BDP or equivalent were randomised to receive either FP 100 mug or SFC 50/100 mug twice daily from a Diskus inhaler for four weeks. The primary outcome was the change from baseline in airway resistance (sRaw) at 12 hrs post dose measured by whole body plethysmography. Impulse oscillometry and spirometry were also performed.

Results: A comparison of the geometric mean sRaw at 12 hrs post dose in the SFC group to the FP group gave a ratio of 0.76 (0.66 - 0.89, p < 0.001) at week 2 and 0.81 (0.71 - 0.94, p = 0.006) at week 4. Similarly, significant results in favour of SFC for oscillometry measurements of resistance and reactance were observed. FEV1 was also significantly superior at week 2 in the SFC group (mean difference 0.16L, 95% CI; 0.03 - 0.28, p = 0.015), but not at week 4 (mean difference 0.17L, 95% CI -0.01 - 0.34, p = 0.060).

Conclusion: SFC is superior to FP in reducing airway resistance in mild asthmatics with near normal FEV1 values. This study provides evidence that changes in pulmonary function in patients with mild asthma are detected more sensitively by plethysmography compared to spirometry

Trial registration number: NCT00370591.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study flow chart.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparison of sRaw and sGaw between SFC and FP groups. Data points = adjusted geometric mean at week 2 and 4 (ANCOVA adjusted for effects of gender age and baseline lung function). Error bars = 95% confidence intervals
Figure 3
Figure 3
Comparison of FEV1 between SFC and FP groups. Data points = adjusted mean change at week 2 and 4 (ANCOVA adjusted for effects of gender age and baseline lung function). Error bars = 95% confidence intervals
Figure 4
Figure 4
Comparison of R5, R20 and X5 between SFC and FP groups. Data points = adjusted geometric mean at week 4 (ANCOVA adjusted for effects of gender age and baseline lung function). Squares = FP. Diamonds = SFC. Error bars = 95% confidence intervals
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Houghton CM, Woodcock AA, Singh D. A comparison of plethysmography, spirometry and oscillometry for assessing the pulmonary effects of inhaled ipratropium bromide in healthy subjects and patients with asthma. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2005;59:152–159. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2004.2262.x. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
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