Effect of a high dose of N-acetylcystine on pulmonary fibrosis and oxidative stress in patients with idiopathic pulmonary interstitial fibrosis

Abstract

Objective To investigate the effect of a high dose of N-acetylcystine on pulmonary fibrosis and oxidative stress in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Methods 68 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis treated at our hospital from May, 2016 to May, 2018 were randomly divided into a control group (n=34) and an observation group (n=34). The control group was treated with a low dose of N-acetylcystein, and the observation group a high dose. The indicators of pulmonary fibrosis and oxidative stress, cytokines, and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Results After the treatment, the levels of type Ⅲ and Ⅳ collagens, hyaluronic acid, malondialdehyde, transforming growth factor-β, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and IL-13 were lower and the levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione were higher in the observation group than in the control group [(69.17±7.84) ng/ml vs. (84.16±8.38) ng/ml, (89.73±11.67) ng/ml vs. (106.42±10.81) ng/ml, (87.92±22.67) ng/ml vs. (110.07±21.76) ng/ml, (9.75±1.36) nmol/L vs. (13.24±1.79) nmol/L, (102.54±13.51) pg/ml vs. (121.78±14.13) pg/ml, (311.14±12.91) pg/ml vs. (320.16±13.28) pg/ml, (13.91±1.73) ng/L vs. (17.65±1.42) ng/L, (81.97±6.01) IU/L vs. (72.13±5.76) IU/L, and (46.85±6.94) μmol/L vs. (34.63±7.29) μmol/L; all P 0.05). Conclusion A high dose of N-B-cysteine for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis can effectively improve the pulmonary fibrosis and the level of oxidative stress, reduce the levels of cytokines, and contribute to the prognosis. Key words: Idiopathic pulmonary interstitial fibrosis; N-acetylcysteine; Pulmonary fibrosis; Oxidative stress; Cytokines