Experience of administration of Amixin for prevention of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in workers

Abstract

The main cause of seeking for medical aid of COPD patients is exacerbations of the disease which have viral etiology in 30 % [3]. The aim of this study was to investigate efficacy of Amixin, which is an oral inductor of endogenous interferon, to prevent exacerbations of COPD. The study was performed at a large industrial works and involved 58 workers with COPD stage I or II aged 40 to 60. Of them, 38 workers received Amixin 0.125 weekly during 6 wks in winter outbreak of acute respiratory viral infections; 20 workers were as controls. Number and severity of exacerbations of COPD and changes in FEV₁ during 4 months were analyzed. During the follow-up, 42.86 % of the Amixin group participants had no exacerbations of COPD, 57.14 % experienced mild exacerbations. There were no moderate and severe exacerbations in this group. Dyspnea severity was 0.7 according to the MRC scale, number of days off-work was 2.4 per a patient for the follow-up period. In the control group, 15 % of workers did not have exacerbations, the others had 1 or 2 moderate to severe exacerbations. Dyspnea severity was 2.5, number of days off-work was 7.25 per 1 patient. FEV₁ has grown by 92 ml for 12 months in Amixin group patients. The administration of Amixin led to increase in secretory IgA level in saliva and reduction in total IgG level. Tolerability and safety of Amixin were good. Therefore, clinical efficacy of preventive administration of Amixin in COPD patients during an outbreak of acute respiratory viral infections was shown.