Gli steroidi per via
inalatoria sono i farmaci di prima linea e di
prima scelta nel trattamento dell'asma lieve
persistente, ma, quando inefficaci o non
tollerati, possono essere sostituiti, come
seconda scelta, dagli antagonisti dei
leucotrieni. Questi ultimi invece sono
sconsigliati nell'asma grave persistente in
quanto non efficaci (5) e potenzialmente
associati allo sviluppo di complicanze quali la
sindrome di Churg-Strauss (6).
Gli antagonisti dei
leucotrieni sono inoltre consigliati come
farmaci di prima scelta nella profilassi
dell'asma da sforzo in alternativa ai beta-2
stimolanti a breve o lunga durata d'azione o ai
cromoni (1, 7, 8).
1. Global strategy for asthma
management and prevention /NHLBI/WHO workshop
report. Global Initiative for Asthma Update 2002
Global Initiative for Asthma, National Heart,
Lung and Blood Institute. 2002. Document no.
02-3659. 2002.
2. Price, DB, Hernandez D,
Magyar P, Fiterman J, Beeh M, James IG,
Konstantopoulos S, Rojas R, van Noord JA, Pons
M, Gilles L, Leff JA. Randomised controlled trial
of montelukast plus inhaled budesonide versus
double dose inhaled budesonide in adult patients
with asthma. Thorax 2003;58:211-6.
3. Nelson HS, Busse WW,
Kerwin E, Church N, Emmett A, Rickard K, Knobil
K. Fluticasone propionate/salmeterol combination
provides more effective asthma control than
low-dose inhaled corticosteroid plus montelukast.
J AĖlergy Clin Immunol 2000;106:1088-95.
4. Bjermer L, Bisgaard H,
Bousquet J, Fabbri LM, Greening AP, Haahtela T,
Holgate ST, Picado C, Menten J, Dass SB,
Leff JA, Polos PG. Montelukast and fluticasone
compared with salmeterol and fluticasone in
protecting against asthma exacerbation in adults:
one year, doublé blind, randomised, comparative
trial. BMJ 2003;327:891.
5. Robinson DS, Campbell D,
Barnes PJ. Addition of leukotriene antagonists
to therapy in chronic persistent asthma: a
randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial.
Lancet 2001;357:2007-11.
6. Gross WL. Churg-Strauss
syndrome: update on recent developments. Curr
Opin Rheumatol 2002;14:11-4.
7. Leff JA,. Busse WW,
Pearlman D, Bronsky EA, Kemp J, Hendeles L,
Dockhorn R, Kundu S, Zhang J,. Seidenberg BC,
Reiss TF. Montelukast, a leukotriene-receptor
antagonist, for the treatment of mild asthma and
exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. N Engl
J Med 1998; 339:147-52.
8. Edelman JM, Turpin JA,
Bronsky EA, Grossman J, Kemp IP, Ghannam AF,
DeLucca PT, Gormley G.J, Pearlman DS. Oral
montelukast compared wėth inhaled salmeterol to
prevent exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. A
randomized, double-blind trial. Exercise
Study Group Ann Intern Med 2000,132:97-104.