Functional Evaluation of a Corticosteroid Molecule Activity, Dexamethasone-Isonicotinate, by Aerosol Dosage in Obstructive Lung Disease

Abstract

The authors experimented with a corticosteroid molecule, dexamethasone-isonicotinate, by pressurized aerosol, testing it on 15 subjects suffering from a bronchial obstructive syndrome (7 cases of asthmatic bronchitis, 6 of chronic bronchitis with pulmonary emphysema, 2 of bronchial asthma). In such patients clinical evolution, spirographic patterns, and airway resistance were studied by means of body plethysmograph before and after administration of 0.25 mg dexamethasone-isonicotinate four times a day. In four subjects daily variations of airway resistance before and after 10 days of treatment were evaluated: in three cases the resistance diminished noticeably at all times of the day after therapy. In eleven cases the functional parameters were recorded before and after 7 days therapy, and ten subjects were followed up by a monthly, check during 6 months of therapy. In both methods, the authors obtained good or very good results in more than half of the subjects and fair results in a fifth of the subjects; in the remaining patients poor results were obtained. Side-effects attributed to improper dosage were never observed.