Effects of montelukast sodium combined with budesonide on pulmonary function, serum IgE levels, and EOS percentage in children with comorbid allergic rhinitis and asthma.

Objective: This study was designed to determine the effects of montelukast sodium combined with budesonide on pulmonary function, serum immunoglobulin (Ig)E levels, and eosinophil (EOS) percentage in children comorbid with allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma.

Methods: The medical records of 114 children comorbid with AR and asthma treated in the Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital from February 2020 to September 2022 were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 54 children treated with budesonide were assigned to a control group, and the remaining 60 children treated with montelukast sodium combined with budesonide were assigned to an observation group. The efficacy was compared between the two groups. Additionally, the changes in pulmonary function, serum IgE levels, and EOS percentage were compared between the two groups before and after treatment (one month). The adverse reactions during the treatment and the recurrence of AR within 3 months were recorded. Logistics regression was conducted to analyze the risk factors affecting the efficacy in children.

Results: The observation group showed a significantly higher overall response rate than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the observation group showed significantly higher levels of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)%, FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC), and peak expiratory flow (PEF) than the control group (P<0.05), and significantly lower IgE levels and EOS percentage than the control group (P<0.05). No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of the total incidence of adverse reactions (P>0.05). According to the follow-up results of prognosis, the observation group presented a greatly lower recurrence rate of AR within 3 months than the control group (P<0.05). Multivariate logistics regression analysis showed that therapeutic regimen, IgE, and EOS were independent risk factors affecting the efficacy in the patients (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Montelukast sodium combined with budesonide can substantially improve the pulmonary function in children with comorbid AR and asthma, alleviate their symptoms of asthma and rhinitis, and lower the IgE level and EOS percentage. In addition, therapeutic regimen, IgE and EOS are independent risk factors affecting the efficacy in patients.