Asthma medication montelukast may help treat immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome

This is a nice summary of an article published in the January 30, 2007 issue of AIDS. The case report suggests that montelukast, an oral leukotriene antagonist used for asthma, may be useful for treatment of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). If substantiated by further research, this could be quite a useful development.

We have seen very little IRIS in our pediatric service, perhaps because most of our patients start treatment at relatively high CD4 counts and because we usually finish several months of TB treatment before starting antiretroviral therapy. I don't know how available montelukast and the similar drug zafirlukast are in Africa, but it might be worth trying to acquire at least some samples if you deal much with IRIS.

Liz Highleymanm, Asthma medication may help treat immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. www.hivandhepatitis.com/recent/2007/021307_e.html accessed 25-Feb-2007.

M C Lipman and S K Carding. Successful drug treatment of immune reconstitution disease with the leukotriene receptor antagonist, montelukast: a clue to pathogenesis? AIDS 21(3): 383-384. January 30, 2007. (subscription or Hinari required).

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