title: Comparative study of the efficacy and safety of theophylline and doxofylline in patients with bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are the major obstructive disorders that may contribute to the severity in individual patients. The present study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of theophylline and doxofylline in patients with bronchial asthma and COPD.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 60 patients, 30 each with bronchial asthma and COPD, were enrolled for the study. Each group of 30 patients received standard treatment for asthma and COPD. Each group was again subdivided into two with 15 patients each, who received theophylline or doxofylline in addition to standard therapy, for a period of 2 months. Each patient was followed up fortnightly for the assessment of efficacy parameters using a pulmonary function test (PFT), clinical symptoms and emergency drug use, and safety was assessed by recording adverse drug reactions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both theophylline and doxofylline produced enhancements in PFT at different time intervals in both asthma and COPD patients. The maximum beneficial effects were seen at 6 weeks for asthma patients and at 8 weeks for COPD patients for both theophylline and doxofylline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The comparative study showed that doxofylline was more effective as evidenced by improvement in PFT as well as clinical symptoms, and reduced incidence of adverse effects and emergency bronchodilator use.
authors.forename: Dushyant
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lal
authors.forename: Sachin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manocha
authors.forename: Arunabha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Vijayan
authors.forename: Raj
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D013806:Theophylline / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D013806:Theophylline; C029797:doxofylline