Anti-IgE therapy with omalizumab decreases endothelin-1 in exhaled breath condensate of patients with severe persistent allergic asthma

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Endothelin-1, published as a clinical trial.

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of omalizumab treatment on changes in endothelin-1 (ET-1), which plays an important role in the development of airway inflammation and remodeling in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) in patients with severe asthma.

Why It Was Studied

Omalizumab is a humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody, especially useful for the treatment of severe persistent allergic asthma, inadequately controlled despite regular therapy.

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 19 patients were involved.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults and middle-aged adults, both men and women.

The study was conducted in a group of 19 patients with severe persistent allergic asthma treated with conventional therapy (according to the Global Initiative for Asthma, 2006) and with or without omalizumab (9 vs. 10 patients).

How the Study Was Run

Changes in ET-1 in EBC compared with other inflammatory parameters [exhaled nitric oxide - (FE(NO)), blood eosinophil count, and serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP)] were measured after 16 and 52 weeks of therapy.

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Anti-Asthmatic Agents, Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized, Asthma, Breath Tests and Endothelin-1.

What This Means in Plain Language

This is a clinical trial of Endothelin-1 in 19 patients.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 4 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2010 (Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases), a journal based in Switzerland.

More context: the Endothelin-1 compound page, all human trials.