June 12, 2002
In patients with chronic stable asthma who were also positive for Mycoplasma pneumoniae or Chlamydia pneumoniae by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), results of a double-blind trial reported in the June issue of Chest suggest that clarithromycin improves both cytokine levels and FEV1.
“We believe that antibiotics may become an important addition to the therapeutic options for some patients with asthma,” senior author Richard Martin, MD, from the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, Colorado, says in a news release.
In 55 adults with mild to moderate asthma, multiple tissue samples from the upper and lower airways yielded negative cultures, but PCR revealed DNA from M pneumoniae or C pneumoniae in samples from 31 (56%) of the 55 patients.
“Diagnosis of chlamydia or mycoplasma infection requires an invasive procedure,” Martin says. “At the present time, only select centers can appropriately perform the necessary tests. We are working on simpler methods to make the diagnosis easier.”
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