Trial reportThorax2006
Long term effects of azithromycin in patients with cystic fibrosis: A double blind, placebo controlled trial.
Trial report in Thorax, 2006. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 88 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
88 citing papers in PubMed, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 289 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy of Long-Term Use of Azithromycin in the Management of Cystic Fibrosis in Pediatric Patients with or WithoutMedicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Pooled it
- Macrolide antibiotics (including azithromycin) for cystic fibrosis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Long-Term Safety Profiles of Macrolides and Tetracyclines: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of clinical pharmacology · 2024Pooled it
- The efficacy of azithromycin to prevent exacerbation of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.Journal of cardiothoracic surgery · 2022Pooled it
- Adverse events in people taking macrolide antibiotics versus placebo for any indication.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019Pooled it
- The Immunomodulatory Effects of Macrolides-A Systematic Review of the Underlying Mechanisms.Frontiers in immunology · 2018Pooled it
- Antibiotics for preventing lower respiratory tract infections in high-risk children aged 12 years and under.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2015Pooled it
- Effects of long-term use of macrolides in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.BMC infectious diseases · 2015Pooled it
- Prophylactic use of macrolide antibiotics for the prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation: a meta-analysis.PloS one · 2015Pooled it
- Meta-analysis of the adverse effects of long-term azithromycin use in patients with chronic lung diseases.Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy · 2014Pooled it
- Macrolide antibiotics for cystic fibrosis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2012Pooled it
- Development of a population pharmacokinetic model to describe azithromycin whole-blood and plasma concentrations over time in healthy subjects.Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy · 2013Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Efficacy and safety of inhaled aztreonam lysine for airway pseudomonas in cystic fibrosis.Chest · 2009Trial
- Inhaled aztreonam lysine for chronic airway Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis.American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine · 2008Trial
- Remodelling of cystic fibrosis respiratory microbiota in response to extended elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor therapy.Microbiome · 2026Article
- Systematic development and optimization of a microfluidic formulation protocol for liposomal azithromycin.RSC pharmaceutics · 2026Article
- Asthma and Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis: Understanding, Insights, and State-of-the-Art.Journal of inflammation research · 2026Review
- Article
28 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMacrolides display immunomodulatory effects that may be beneficial in chronic inflammatory pulmonary diseases. The aim of the study was to document whether long term use of azithromycin may be associated with respiratory benefits in young patients with cystic fibrosis.
methodsA multicentre, randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial was conducted from October 2001 to June 2003. The criteria for enrollment were age older than 6 years and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) of 40% or more. The active group received either 250 mg or 500 mg (body weight < or > or =40 kg) of oral azithromycin three times a week for 12 months. The primary end point was change in FEV1.
resultsEighty two patients of mean (SD) age 11.0 (3.3) years and mean (SD) FEV1 85 (22)% predicted were randomised: 40 in the azithromycin group and 42 in the placebo group. Nineteen patients were infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The relative change in FEV1 at month 12 did not differ significantly between the two groups. The number of pulmonary exacerbations (count ratio 0.50 (95% CI 0.32 to 0.79), p < 0.005), the time elapsed before the first pulmonary exacerbation (hazard ratio 0.37 (95% CI 0.22 to 0.63), p < 0.0001), and the number of additional courses of oral antibiotics were significantly reduced in the azithromycin group regardless of the infectious status (count ratio 0.55 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.85), p < 0.01). No severe adverse events were reported.
conclusionLong term use of low dose azithromycin in young patients with cystic fibrosis has a beneficial effect on lung disease expression, even before infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.