Nimesulide in cystic fibrosis treatment

Abstract

The purpose of our study was to examine the antiinflammatory effect of nimesulide the novel selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor. Fifteen CF patients (the mean age 11.9 years) were treated with basic therapy and nimesulide in the daily dose of 3 mg per kg of the body weight. Inflammatory markers in the sputum samples (neutrophil elastase activity, TNF-α and IL-8 concentrations) and in peripheral blood (sensitivity of lymphocytes to antiproliferative effect of glucocorticoids and plasma TNF-α level) have been determined. During the six-month period before the start of Nimesulide, most patients had experienced a decline in FEV₁ and FVC. Following the nimesulide treatment the lung disease progression became slower. The patients with poor lung function showed an essential elevation of neutrophil elastase activity and decrease of TNF-α in their sputa. Authors postulate that elastase activity elevation is associated with the destruction of neutrophils following the antiinflammatory treatment. Decrease in plasma concentrations of TNF-α as well as in the number of activated lymphocytes in peripheral blood is an evidence of the systemic antiinflammatory effect of nimesulide.