title: Salt chamber treatment is ineffective in treating eosinophilic inflammation in asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We have shown that salt chamber treatment reduces airway hyper-responsiveness as an add-on therapy in adult asthmatics on inhaled corticosteroids.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed whether this effect is due to the suppression of eosinophilic airway inflammation. Thirty-nine adult asthmatics on inhaled corticosteroids were randomized to receive active salt chamber treatment with low-salt treatment 6.6 mg/m(3)  (n = 14), high-salt treatment 10.8 mg/m(3)  (n = 15) or placebo 0.3 mg/m(3)  (n = 10) 10 times in a 2 weeks' period in a double-blind manner.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The level of induced sputum eosinophilic cationic protein μg/l, was 3070 before and 4651 after the low-salt treatment period, on average. In the high-salt treatment group, it was 12 192 μg/l vs 11 803 and in the placebo group 3942 vs 4144, respectively. Salt chamber treatment had no effect on sputum eosinophil or neutrophil cell numbers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reduction in hyper-responsiveness observed in the previous study is probably not due to the effect on eosinophilic inflammation.
authors.affiliation: South Karelia Allergy and Environment Institute, Lappeenranta, Finland. jussi.sandell@pp.inet.fi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sandell
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hedman
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saarinen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haahtela
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D012965:Sodium Chloride