Erdosteine: its relevance in COPD treatment.
BACKGROUND
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive condition characterized by airflow limitation, which is largely irreversible; the oxidant/antioxidant imbalance is important in the pathogenesis of this condition.


OBJECTIVE
To show that administration of erdosteine, a mucolytic agent with a prevalent antioxidant activity, could play a beneficial role in COPD.


METHODS
To review the experimental and clinical trials on erdosteine in COPD and chronic bronchitis.


RESULTS
Erdosteine is a thiol agent with a multifactorial mechanism of action, namely: mucolytic, antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. In the acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis/COPD, addition of erdosteine 300 mg twice a day for 7 - 10 days to standard treatment improves the symptoms and reduces the time of disease. In clinically stable COPD, long-term treatment is associated with a reduction in acute exacerbation and hospitalization rate and a significant improvement of quality of life. Erdosteine could be most beneficial in patients who have repeated, prolonged or severe exacerbations of COPD.
Moretti
Maurizio
M
Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Clinica di Malattie dell'Apparato Respiratorio, Dipartimento di Oncologia, Ematologia e Patologie Apparato Respiratorio, Modena, Italy. moretti@unimo.it.