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Previous Volume 355:2157-2158 November 16, 2006 Number 20 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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To the Editor: Weinberger and Abu-Hasan (Aug. 24 issue)¹ report severe asthma in two patients receiving inhaled corticosteroids and salmeterol. Each actuation of the salmeterol inhaler also delivers xinafoate, which according to the package insert has "no apparent pharmacological activity." However, at a molecular level, xinafoate is similar to compounds such as plicatic acid that are known to cause asthma.

Among the more than 250 known causes² of occupational asthma are organic compounds of low molecular weight with bifunctional reactivity composed of at least two basic, hydroxyl, carboxyl, sulfonyl, isocyanate, or similar reactive groups.³ Xinafoate has a molecular mass of . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Related Letters:

Life-Threatening Asthma during Treatment with Salmeterol
Weinberger M., Abu-Hasan M.
Extract | Full Text | PDF  
N Engl J Med 2006; 355:852-853, Aug 24, 2006. Correspondence

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