Table 2.
Pulmonary function and capsaicin cough threshold on carbocysteine, ambroxol hydrochloride and placebo treatments in patients with stable bronchial asthma.
| Control | Placebo | Carbocysteine | Ambroxol hydrochloride | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FVC as % pred. (%) | 98.7 ± 8.0 | 94.0 ± 8.2 | 99.2 ± 7.3 | 97.1 ± 7.5 |
| FEV1 as % pred. (%) | 88.1 ± 7.5 | 86.0 ± 6.9 | 90.8 ± 6.5 | 88.8 ± 6.9 |
| Cough threshold (κM) | ||||
| Geometric mean | 12.8 (5.5, 29.6) | 11.0 (4.4, 27.5) | 21.0 (8.8, 50.2)* | 11.6 (5.8, 23.3) |
| Mean values of difference† | ||||
| Treatment regiments vs. control | – | 0.86 (0.60, 1.23) | 1.64 (1.01, 2.66) | 0.91 (0.62, 1.32) |
| Mucoregulatory drugs vs. placebo | – | 1.90 (1.05, 3.46) | 1.05 (0.63, 1.76) | |
| Carbocysteine vs. ambroxolhydrochloride | 1.81 (1.06, 3.11) | – | ||
| Median | 7.8 (3.9, 125.0) | 7.8 (3.9, 31.2) | 15.6 (3.9, 125.0) | 7.8 (3.9, 62.5) |
| Mean values of difference‡ | ||||
| Treatment regiments vs. control | – | 0.00 (−3.90, 62.5) | 3.90 (0.00, 54.70) | 0.00 (−31.25, 3.90) |
| Mucoregulatory drugs vs. placebo | – | 3.90 (0.00, 29.30) | 0.00 (−62.50, 11.70) | |
| Carbocysteine vs. ambroxolhydrochloride | 5.85 (0.00, 64.45) | – | ||
Data are shown as standard error of the mean for FVC and FEV1, and as geometric mean value and median (95% CI) for capsaicin cough threshold, respectively.
*
P < 0.05 compared with placebo and ambroxol hydrochloride treatment respectively (Wilcoxon signed-ranks test data are transformed to logarithmic values for cough threshold).
†
If 95% CI does not include 1, showing significant difference between each group.
‡
If 95% CI does not include 0, showing significant difference between each group.