Effects of Low-Dose and Long-Term Treatment with Erythromycin on Interleukin-17 and Interleukin-23 in Peripheral Blood and Induced Sputum in Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Figure 1

(a) The effects of erythromycin on the number of inflammatory cells in induced sputum (10⁶/mL) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients at baseline and after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of treatment. There was a significant reduction in total cell counts and neutrophil counts after erythromycin treatment from baseline to 3, 6, 9, and 12 months in group A (all values < .01) and from baseline to 3 and 6 months in group B (all values < .01). There was a significant decrease in total cell counts and neutrophil counts at all time points in group A (all values < .05) and after 3 and 6 months in group B (all values < .05) compared to the placebo-treated group. (b) The effects of erythromycin on the ratio of inflammatory cells in induced sputum (%) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients at baseline and after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of treatment. Significant reductions in the neutrophil ratio were observed after erythromycin treatment from baseline to 3, 6, 9, and 12 months in group A (all values < .01) and to 3 and 6 months in group B (all values < .01). Compared with placebo-treated group, the significant decreases were also observed in the neutrophil ratio after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of treatment in group A (all values < .05) and after 6 months in group B (). Increases in the macrophage ratio from baseline to 3, 6, 9, and 12 months in group A (all values < .01) and 6 months in group B () were observed and compared to placebo; similar increases were significant after 6, 9, and 12 months of treatment with erythromycin in group A (all values < .05) and 6 months in group B ().