Trial reportThe European respiratory journal2026
Azithromycin enhances epithelial antiviral immunity in uncontrolled asthma: results from the AZIMUNE randomised controlled trial.
Trial report in The European respiratory journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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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.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- A randomised controlled trial of EP395, a novel anti-inflammatory macrolide, in stable COPD patients.ERJ open research · 2026Article
- Unraveling the mechanisms of virus-induced asthma exacerbation: epithelial injury, immune dysregulation, and novel interventions.Chinese medical journal pulmonary and critical care medicine · 2025Review
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundViral respiratory infections are the leading trigger of asthma exacerbations, and impaired epithelial type I and III interferon (IFN) responses may contribute to more severe exacerbations. Azithromycin reduces exacerbations clinically, but its effects on epithelial antiviral immunity remain unclear. This study investigated whether azithromycin treatment enhances airway epithelial antiviral responses and modulates alarmin concentrations in patients with uncontrolled asthma.
methodsIn the investigator-initiated, double-blind, placebo-controlled AZIMUNE trial, 40 adults with uncontrolled asthma were randomised (1:1) to azithromycin (500 mg three times per week) or placebo (identical regimen) for 12 weeks. Bronchial epithelial cells were obtained
resultsAzithromycin significantly increased rhinovirus-induced concentrations of IFN-β (p=0.047) and IFN-λ (p=0.013) in the azithromycin group (n=16) compared with baseline, whereas no change was seen in the placebo group (n=16). Azithromycin treatment also reduced IL-33 concentrations (p=0.001), while TSLP levels were unaffected. Clinical outcomes improved numerically in the azithromycin group, but differences
conclusionsAzithromycin enhances epithelial antiviral immunity and attenuates IL-33 concentrations in response to rhinoviral infection in asthma. The dual immunomodulatory effect of azithromycin supports its role as adjunctive therapy to prevent virus-induced exacerbations.
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