Nieuwe therapie van asthma bronchiale: toepassing van leukotrieenreceptorantagonisten en leukotrieensyntheseremmers

Leukotrienes are important mediators of asthma. Antileukotriene therapy appears to provide the answer, owing to its reliever and controller properties. Two major categories of antileukotriene drugs have been introduced: leukotriene receptor antagonists and leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitors. Both types of drugs provide comparable protection against bronchoactive stimuli (allergen, exercise, aspirin). Moreover, beneficial effects have been observed in the treatment of day-to-day asthma, resulting in amelioration of clinical symptoms and lung function parameters, with reduction of beta2-agonist and corticosteroid use, suggesting antiinflammatory effects. Owing to these properties in combination with generally mild adverse effects, antileukotrienes are promising in the treatment of patients, including children with various forms of asthma. However, their definitive place in the asthma management will depend on the long-term effects on the chronic airway inflammation, which determines the structural changes within the airways, and the subsequent severity of clinical symptoms