EFFECTS OF PHOTOHEMOTHERAPY ON THE CLINICAL COURSE OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA

Abstract

Background: Anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory effects of photohemotherapy have been demonstrated in myocarditis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, some autoimmune and other disorders. There are only limited reports on the use of photohemotherapy in bronchial asthma (BA). Aim: To assess the influence of blue- and red-light photohemotherapy on clinical course of BA. Materials and methods: 480 hospitalized patients with persistent moderate BA and mild (44.5%) or moderate (55.5%) exacerbation were randomized to receive standard therapy of asthma exacerbation and photohemotherapy (treatment group, n=250) or standard therapy only (control group, n=230). Blue-light photohemotherapy (photodiode apparatus Solaris, n=220) or redlight photohemotherapy (helium-neon gas laser, n=30) was applied according to the schedule: procedure duration – 30 minutes, number of sessions – 5–7, every 2–3 days. Results: In asthma exacerbation, adding photohemotherapy to standard treatment was associated with more rapid improvement of clinical symptoms: maximal total asthma scores were achieved by the day 7–10 in patients with mild exacerbation and by the day 10–14 in patients with moderate exacerbation. Therapeutic effects of blue-light photohemotherapy were superior to those of red-light photohemotherapy. The data of 3-year follow-up supported the role of photohemotherapy in achieving asthma control: in the treatment group, proportion of patients with total control of asthma was 1.3-fold higher and one-year hospitalization number was lower by 34.8% compared with the controls. Conclusion: Blue-light and red-light photohemotherapy positively influences the clinical course of asthma and is associated with faster remission achievement and reduction of duration and frequency of hospitalizations.

Keywords

• bronchial asthma
• photohemotherapy
• clinical parameters
• effectiveness