Efficacy of salbutamol/ketotifen combination in the treatment of pediatric asthma, and its effect on serum levels of endothelin-1, nitric oxide, and circulating endothelial cells.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical efficacy of salbutamol in combination with ketotifen in the treatment of pediatric asthma, and its effect on serum levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1), nitric oxide (NO), and circulating endothelial cells (CEC). Methods: Pediatric asthma patients (n = 100) admitted to Liyang Hospital of Chinese Medicine from March 2019 to March 2021, were randomly divided into control group and study group, with 50 patients in each group. Control group was treated with salbutamol, while the study group received a combination of salbutamol and ketotifen. Treatment effectiveness, lung function indicator levels, and serum levels of ET-1, NO, and CEC were determined before and after treatment. Incidence of adverse reaction (ARR), onset time, and disappearance time of clinical manifestations were recorded. Results: There were no significant differences in serum levels of ET-1, NO, and CEC between the two groups before treatment, but the study group had significantly higher effectiveness, better levels of lung function indicators, and lower serum levels of ET-1, NO, and CEC (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the study group showed a lower ARR, and shorter onset and disappearance times of clinical manifestations than control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The combination of salbutamol and ketotifen enhances the recovery of pediatric asthma patients, and thus is a promising strategy for treating pediatric asthma. However, this combination therapy merits further large-scale investigation prior to its adoption in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]