Effects of Salmeterol and Fluticasone Propionate Combination versus Fluticasone Propionate on Airway Function and Eosinophilic Inflammation in Mild Asthma

ABSTRACT Background Salmeterol and fluticasone propionate combination (SFC) provides better asthma control than fluticasone propionate (FP) alone, however, little is known on the effects of differential treatments on airway function and inflammation in patients with mild asthma. Methods We randomized 27 mild persistent asthma patients treated with the equivalent of 400 μg beclomethasone dipropionate to receive SFC (50/100 μg, 13 patients) or FP (100 μg, 14 patients) twice daily for 8 weeks. We compared the effects of SFC and FP on pulmonary function assessed by spirometry and impulse oscillometry (IOS), eosinophil percentage of induced sputum and serum, and with asthma symptoms and control after each treatment. Results We observed that SFC significantly improved forced expiratory volume in one second ( p p p p p (p Conclusions These findings suggest that SFC is more useful than FP in mild asthma cases. The clinical benefit of SFC provides evidence that IOS and induced sputum allows for the detection of changes in airway function and inflammation.