title: Noninvasive methods to examine the anti-inflammatory effects of drugs.
abstract: The anti-inflammatory effects of drugs can be studied non invasively using sputum which has either been produced spontaneously or induced with hypertonic saline. We have developed an efficient semi-automated method to examine sputum which should be widely applicable. This approach is recommended to provide a direct sampling of the airway secretions to study the inflammatory process and to demonstrate drug effects. We have validated a method to prospectively induce a mild exacerbation of airway inflammation by controlled reduction of inhaled steroid in steroid-dependent asthmatics. This can be used to examine the ability of drugs to prevent or reverse airway inflammation.
authors.affiliation: St. Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Hargreave
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Popov
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dolovich
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D013183:Sputum / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal