Effects of montelukast versus inhaled beclomethasone on asthma control and immunoglobulin-E levels in asthmatic children

Abstract

Background: Beclomethasone dipropionate inhaler is a corticosteroid medication used as the controller of persistent asthma. Montelukast is a leukotriene receptor antagonist used as the second-line in controlling the symptoms of the asthmatic child. Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the comparison between the effects of beclomethasone dipropionate inhaler and montelukast on the total serum level of immunoglobulin E (IgE) and childhood asthma control test (C-ACT) in asthmatic children. Patients and Methods: A randomized clinical trial was done in Kerbala Teaching Hospital of pediatric from August 2014 to the end of October 2015, 97 patients were collected from asthma outpatient clinic aged 4 to 11 years with mild persistent asthma and randomly divided into beclomethasone group (51 patients) and montelukast group (46 patients), the total serum IgE was done before the initiation of treatment, and another reading was done after 3 months. The score of symptoms control was evaluated by C-ACT after 1 month of treatment, and another evaluation was done 2 months later. Results: There was a significant reduction in total serum IgE level (21% for montelukast group and 27% for beclomethasone group) after 3 months of treatment compared to baseline IgE, and there was significant improvement in childhood C-ACT scores (16% for montelukast group and 24% for beclomethasone group) after 3 months of treatment compared to the 1st month of treatment. There was a significant improvement in the beclomethasone group compared to the montelukast group after 3 months of treatment. Conclusions: Both beclomethasone and montelukast are effective controllers for asthma symptoms and reducing the total serum IgE level. Beclomethasone is better than montelukast in improving C-ACT scores.