Cellular signal
conventional treatment of asthma is unable to cure the disease, as it pays little attention to eosinophils (white blood cells), whose levels in the lungs have been observed to rise weeks before an asthma attack. This was established during a study conducted by researchers from Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, the uk.
The researchers conducted an experiment to find if using eosinophils as markers would be useful to treat the disease. The experiment involved 74 people with moderate to severe asthma. Half the group was treated using the standard approach (bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory agents, with doses based on measurements of lung function and an assessment of symptoms), the other half was treated in response to rising levels of eosinophils. When the eosinophil levels in the sputum rose above three per cent, the medicine doses were increased. When they fell below one per cent, the dosage was decreased.
The researchers found a significant difference in the number of serious asthma attacks between the two groups. Those who received the standard treatment had three severe attacks per year requiring additional treatment or hospitalisation. However, those receiving treatment on the basis of eosinophil levels had only one attack. The cost of each treatment was the same, indicating the eosinophil method could give more
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