The therapeutic efficacy of oral N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and ambroxol as compared with the effect of placebos was studied in 36 cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with mild to moderate pulmonary disease. The patients were randomly assigned to one of three regimens, matched on the basis of age and Chrispin-Norman scores. The trial was conducted over a period of 12 weeks. Patients were assessed clinically and by extensive pulmonary function techniques (body-plethysmography, maximal expiratory flow-volume curves, trapped air determination). Although no clinical differences could be observed between the three groups, significant impairment in the placebo group was found for trapped air and FEV1 when compared to the active groups, suggesting a therapeutic effect of ambroxol and NAC in CF.

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Summary Thirty‐one patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) were thoroughly evaluated for allergy. This included a clinical history, skin tests with twenty‐three allergens and bronchial provocation with inhaled allergens and histamine. The bronchial response was measured by whole body plethysmography. Of the patients studied, 40% 0 showed a bronchoconstrictor response to inhaled allergens, despite the fact that none had reported asthma in their clinical history. Strong skin test reactions (3+ and 4+) and weak reactions (2+) were associated with 65% and 4% of positive reactions of the airways respectively. Weak skin reactions with Aspergillus fumigatus, however, were associated with 43% of positive bronchial challenges. In addition to Aspergillus, the mould Alternaria tenuis was found to be an important allergen causing a bronchial response in CF patients. There was no correlation between the thresholds of bronchial sensitivity to allergen and histamine. suggesting that the pathogenetic mechanisms of CF and bronchial asthma are different.

To nine cystic fibrosis patients with chronic bronchopulmonary infection of severely damaged lungs invaded by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, eleven courses of prolonged tobramycin treatment (5 mg/kg/day) for four to 16 weeks were administered. Pulmonary symptoms improved and a better quality of life was achieved in all but one patient. Objective parameters (chest X-ray, pulmonary function tests) changed to a lesser extent. In only one patient was Pseudomonas eradicated from the sputum but reappeared after discontinuation of therapy. In the rest of the patients Pseudomonas was significantly suppressed or replaced by other pathogens. Four patients showed rises of antibody titres to Candida and two to Aspergillus fumigatus. No nephrotoxic side effects were observed, but vestibular function was reversibly impaired in one patient without corresponding clinical symptoms. No bacterial resistance to tobramycin was observed during therapy.