[A clinical study of the long-term therapeutic effects of low-dose erythromycin in diffuse panbronchiolitis--with special reference to changes in tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens in serum].
We investigated the long-term (3-30 months) therapeutic effects of low-dose (300-600 mg/day) erythromycin in 26 patients with diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB). Significant improvements of pulmonary functions especially in %VC and PaO2 as well as respiratory symptoms were shown. However, erythromycin treatment was not associated with a significant change in surface phenotypes on peripheral blood lymphocytes (CD4, CD8, CD4/CD8). It is well known that serum levels of tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens such as SLX (sialylated Lewis X-i) and CA19-9 (sialylated Lewis(a)) are significantly elevated in patients with DPB. In the present study, 68.4% (13/19) of DPB patients showed marked elevation of SLX and 52.9% (9/17) showed marked elevation of CA19-9 levels in serum. These positive ratios were significantly decreased by erythromycin treatment to 31.6% (6/19) in SLX and 23.4% (4/17) in CA19-9. The mean values of each marker were also significantly decreased after erythromycin administration from 54.9 +/- 26.9 U/ml to 39.5 +/- 22.1 U/ml for SLX and from 70.5 +/- 77.4 U/ml to 28.8 +/- 37.4 U/ml for CA19-9.
Mukae
H
H
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine.
Komori
K
K
Morikawa
N
N
Sakito
O
O
Oda
H
H
Senju
R
R
Fukushima
K
K
Hiratani
K
K
Kadota
J
J
Hara
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000097:blood*; D001988:Bronchiolitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016256:Lewis X Antigen / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors
D015703:Antigens, CD; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D016256:Lewis X Antigen; D004917:Erythromycin