Fischer et al. [1] report that theophylline improves acute mountain sickness (AMS). This is of high interest, as there may be an adenosine-sensitive mechanism of hypoxic respiratory control and therapy, with a specific adenosine antagonist like theophylline, which may potentially influence respiratory adaptation to hypoxia. However, recent studies in human and animal experiments, which sought t...

Adenosine and theophylline were linked covalently to oxidized stachyose to produce compounds too large to penetrate cell membranes. These compounds were used in two conscious and six open-chest anesthetized dogs to test the hypothesis that there is an adenosine receptor on the surface of the coronary myocyte. Intracoronary infusions of the adenosine derivative produced dose-dependent coronary v...

We developed a method for quantitatively determining theophylline in serum, using a heterogeneous immunoassay called flow-injection immunoanalysis. The reaction involves competition between serum theophylline and theophylline-labeled liposomes. Separation occurs on a solid-phase reactor column containing immobilized antibody to theophylline incorporated in a flow-injection system. Subsequent ly...

BACKGROUND Inhaled glucosteroids and oral theophylline are widely used to treat asthma. We compared the benefits of adding theophylline to inhaled glucosteroid with those of doubling the dose of inhaled glucosteroid in patients with persistent symptoms despite the use of inhaled glucosteroid. METHODS In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we randomly assigned 62 patients to receive eith...

OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy of theophylline, terbutaline, or theophylline combined with terbutaline treatment in critically ill children with status asthmaticus who are already receiving continuous nebulized albuterol and intravenous corticosteroids. DESIGN Randomized, prospective, controlled, double-blind trial. SETTING Pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary-care children's medi...

STUDY OBJECTIVE Oral theophylline treatment may be helpful in controlling severe asthma during pregnancy. This treatment, however, has been suspected of causing both complications and malformations. The objective of this investigation was to study the influence of theophylline treatment on the course of pregnancy and delivery and on maternal and infant health. SETTING Respiratory unit, antena...

BACKGROUND Low-dose theophylline has been recognized for its ability to restore histone deacetylase-2 activity which leads to improved steroid responsiveness and thus improved clinical outcome. We retrospectively evaluated the effect of low-dose theophylline therapy in pediatric patients hospitalized for an acute asthma exacerbation as a proof of concept study. METHODS We compared patients wh...

BACKGROUND Theophylline has been used widely as a bronchodilator for the treatment of bronchial asthma and has been suggested to modulate immune response. While the importance of macrophages in asthma has been reappraised and emphasized, their significance has not been well investigated. We conducted a genome-wide profiling of the gene expressions of macrophages in response to theophylline. M...

The combination of beta(2)-adrenoceptor agonists (beta(2)-agonists) with inhaled steroids has become the standard treatment for mild to moderate asthma. Theophylline has also been combined successfully with inhaled steroids. However, the possible interaction between theophylline and beta(2)-agonists, with regard to their anti-inflammatory effects, has not been clarified. The aim of this study w...

Ambulant continuous intravenous theophylline therapy was used in a patient with frequent and severe asthmatic attacks. The patient could not tolerate oral theophylline preparations. We demonstrated a reduction in complaints and prednisone therapy. Activities of daily life improved, as did theophylline levels, lung function and peak-flow.