The Therapeutic Effect of Gamma Interferon in Chronic Bronchiolitis Due to Mustard Gas

Bronchiolitis has been known as one of the pathological features of lung injuries inmustard gas exposed patientsthe purpose of this research was to evaluate the efficacy of interferon gamma-i b onthe lung function in mustard gas exposed patients with bronchiolitis. in multicenterresearch interferon gamma-i b was effective in pulmonary fibrosis with unknownreason, but assessment of effect of interferon gamma-i b in the chemical injuredpatients has not so far been reported.thirty six patients with bronchiolitis whose lung lesion had been diagnosed throughthe chest high resolution computerized tomography (hrct) and pathological studywere divided into two eighteen member case and control groups. the case group wastreated for 6 months with a combination of 200 flg of interferon gamma-i b (given threetimes per week subcutaneously) and 7.5mg of prednisolone (given once a day), whilethe control group received their previous medications (prednisolone 7.5mg/day +salbutamol and beclomethasone spra y prn).in the two groups, fey i did not have statistical differences at base line (49.3±2.9and 48 .7±4.1, respectively, p = 0.6), whereas after treatment the data for feyl showeda significant increase in the case group (66.3 ±5.4 ) when compared with those in thecontrol group (57.3±8 .6, p=o.ooi).the findings of this study indicate that a 6-month treatment with interferon gamma-i b plus a low-dose of prednisolone is associated with the improvement of the lungfunction in mustard gas exposed patients with bronchiolitis