Effect of regular nedocromil sodium or albuterol on bronchial inflammation in chronic asthma.

Nedocromil sodium is recommended for daily treatment of mild persistent asthma but its effect on cellular changes in asthmatic airways is poorly understood. We compared the antiinflammatory effects of nedocromil sodium and albuterol in 32 patients with asthma who received either nedocromil sodium 4 mg or albuterol 0.2 mg four times daily for 12 weeks according to a double-blind protocol. Patients underwent fiberoptic bronchoscopy, and lung function and bronchial responsiveness to histamine were measured. Numbers of inflammatory cells were studied by immunohistochemistry and image analysis. We were unable to identify any statistical differences between treatment groups for any of the variables measured. We conclude that our immunohistochemical study does not support the concept of nedocromil sodium as a potent/antiinflammatory drug.