Bronchial Reactivity in Asthma to Inhaled Histamine during Treatment with Ketotifen

Abstract

A 12-week open trial using varying dosages of ketotifen, an oral drug with a prophylactic anti-asthmatic effect, was carried out in 20 patients with stable chronic bronchial asthma (age 20–50 years, no steroid treatment) to determine whether the frequency of asthma attacks and bronchodilator consumption could be reduced, and whether pulmonary function would improve. The protective action of ketotifen against a histamine inhalation test was measured at the beginning of the trial and at regular intervals during the trial. he patients experienced a significant improvement in their asthma and a significant decrease in the number of asthma attacks during the trial. Concomitantly, the need for other anti-asthma agents was reduced. Pulmonary function tests improved before and following histamine inhalation after 4, 8 and 12 weeks of treatment. In some patients cromoglycate was successfully replaced by ketotifen. Efficacy was rated as very good or good in 17 patients and moderate in 3 patients. Tolerance was good in all patients, no serious side-effects were observed. umming up, it may be stated that ketotifen is a compound which by virtue of its activity profile and route of administration offers a new approach to the prophylactic treatment of bronchial asthma.