Тhe prophylactic efficacy of a recombinant interferon alfa-2b drug in children with bronchial asthma

Abstract

A prospective cohort study was conducted to assess the effect of a recombinant interferon alpha-2b prophylactic course on cyto-immunological parameters of induced sputum in children with mild asthma, the main trigger of exacerbation of which was respiratory viral infections.We examined 40 children aged 1 to 7 years with (mean age — 4.8 ± 0.2 years), half of whom received a course of recombinant interferon alpha-2b. The authors detected respiratory viruses in scrapings from throat and nose (PCR method) and evaluated the different cell counts, also the levels of interleukin-10, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interferon alpha and immunoglobulin E on the 1st and 30th day of the study (ELISA method) were determined in sputum.The number of asthma exacerbations, triggered by respiratory viral infection, decreased in 4.5 times against. In children who received recombinant interferon alpha-2b the count of sputum eosinophils and the number of children with sputum eosinophilia (≥3 %) reduced. After two months the level of nasal eosinophils was 30% lower than the start level. The level of IgE in induced sputum decreased by 35%, but the level of IL-10 was increased by 1.5 times. 75% of parents whose children received recombinant interferon alpha-2b, note positive effect of this drug.There were no adverse events to receive the drug in any case. Thus, the use of recombinant interferon alpha-2b in children with virus-induced asthma to reduce episodes of exacerbations associated with acute respiratory diseases can be recommended.