• Haig Tcheurekdjian, Shannon M Thyne, L Keoki Williams, Marc Via, Jose R Rodriguez-Santana, William Rodriguez-Cintron, Pedro C Avila, and Esteban González Burchard.
• Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA. haig.tcheurekdjian@gmail.com
• Ann. Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2009 Jun 1;102(6):510-7.

BackgroundEthnic-specific interactions between different asthma medications are not well described.ObjectiveTo determine whether the use of leukotriene modifiers is associated with the magnitude of bronchodilator responsiveness among Mexican American and Puerto Rican children with persistent asthma.MethodsA cross-sectional study of 84 Mexican American and 192 Puerto Rican children, with persistent asthma who were aged 8 to 16 years. Within each group, bronchodilator responsiveness to albuterol, objectively assessed via spirometry, was compared between participants using leukotriene modifiers and those not using leukotriene modifiers.ResultsLeukotriene modifier use was associated with a clinically significant increase in percentage change in forced expiratory volume in 1 second of 11.8 (P < .001) in Puerto Rican children, but there was no significant change in percentage change in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (-3.2, P=.57) in Mexican American children. This finding persisted after controlling for the use of inhaled corticosteroids. In addition, among the Puerto Rican children, the association between leukotriene modifier use and augmented bronchodilator responsiveness was greatest in those younger than 12 years.ConclusionsAmong children with persistent asthma, use of leukotriene modifiers is associated with augmented bronchodilator responsiveness to albuterol in Puerto Ricans, but not Mexican Americans. This ethnic-specific, drug-drug interaction highlights the need for the further understanding of asthma pharmacogenetics among children from different ethnic groups to improve asthma outcomes.

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