Immunological parameters and respiratory functions in patients suffering from atopic bronchial asthma after intravenous treatment with salmon calcitonin.

This study reports the effect of salmon calcitonin on airway function and peripheral blood parameters in asthmatic subjects. The premise for the study is that calcitonin is given to asthmatics that require systemic corticosteroids as a way to counter problems with calcium balance and osteoporosis, and that it has an immunosuppressive effect. Salmon calcitonin (100 IU) was administered to 18 patients with atopic bronchial asthma, and the following spirometric parameters were evaluated: forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), peak respiratory flow rate (PEFR) and forced expiratory flow rates at 25%, 50% and 75% of the forced vital capacity (FEF25%, FEF50% and FEF75%). Calcitonin significantly decreased the levels of FVC and FEV1 by 20 min after starting the infusion. The effect of 500 mg aminophylline, used as a reference drug in this study, was much more profound, with a significant increase in all investigated parameters. Also, the effect of salmon calcitonin on some immune parameters (white blood cell count, number of eosinophils, serum levels of immunoglobulins IgG, IgM and IgA, and serum levels of lymphocytes subpopulations CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD19) was determined in another group of 30 patients suffering from atopic bronchial asthma. Calcitonin at a dose of 100 IU/day subcutaneously for 3 days did not alter the immune parameters studied, thus rendering it safe for such and similar treatment schedules in a variety of medical conditions.

Lack of effect of salmon calcitonin on serum level of soluble form of E-selectin (CD 62E) in patients with atopic bronchial asthma.

The effect of salmon calcitonin on serum level of soluble form of E-selectin was investigated in patients with atopic bronchial asthma. A slight decrease in serum soluble E-selectin level was shown in patients with mild asthma. There was no effect of calcitonin (100 units, s.c., daily for three days) on serum E-selectin.

[The influence of salmon calcitonin on the soluble form of VCAM-1 (CD 106) and E-selectin (CD 62E) in serum of patients with atopic bronchial asthma]. / Wplyw kalcytoniny lososiowej na stezenie rozpuszczalnych form VCAM-1 (CD 106) i e-selektyny (CD 62E) w surowicy u chorych na astme oskrzelowa atopowa.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of salmon calcitonin (CT) on serum level of soluble form of VCAM-1 (sVCAM-1 = soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1) and E-selectin (sE-selectin = soluble E-selectin) in patients with atopic bronchial asthma. Twenty-four individuals divided into 4 groups (6 persons each) were investigated. The first group consisted of patients with chronic moderate bronchial asthma, the second and third groups consisted of patients with mild bronchial asthma and the fourth group K consisted of healthy individuals. The patients of the first and second group were treated with CT at a dose of 100 i.v./days s.c. for three days. The patients of the third group were given placebo (phychological saline) in similar way as CT. The indices were measured before the treatment with CT or placebo and on the 4th day of the treatment. It was found that CT treatment decreased sVCAM-1 in serum only in the patients of the first group (p < 0.05) but had no effect upon sE-selectin level. The obtained results suggest that CT interfered into mechanisms of inflammation involving adhesion molecules in patients with bronchial asthma.