This study of 1358 children investigated whether intermittent montelukast (a drug widely used to treat wheeze and other asthmatic symptoms) compared with placebo, reduced wheezing episodes in children aged 10 months to 5 years, and whether patient outcome differed according to genotype. Study authors found that intermittent montelukast only reduced wheezing episodes in children with arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase (ALOX5) gene promoter 5/5, a gene that has previously been associated with a better response to montelukast in adults. There was no correlation with reduced wheezing episodes for children without this specific genotype. Therefore the researchers call for more research into the effects of montelukast in children with this genetic subtype.
The Lancet Respiratory Medicine