Hydrogen gas (XEN) inhalation ameliorates airway inflammation in asthma and COPD patients

BACKGROUND: Hydrogen was proven to have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammation effects to various diseases. AIM: We wish to investigate the acute effects of inhaled hydrogen on airway inflammation in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). DESIGN: Prospective study. METHODS: In total, 2.4% hydrogen containing steam mixed gas (XEN) was inhaled once for 45 min in 10 patients with asthma and 10 patients with COPD. The levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, interferon-γ, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 and so on in peripheral blood and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) before and after ‘XEN’ inhalation were measured. RESULTS: 45 minutes ‘XEN’ inhalation once decreased monocyte chemotactic protein 1 level in both COPD (564.70–451.51 pg/mL, P = 0.019) and asthma (386.39–332.76 pg/mL, P = 0.033) group, while decreased IL-8 level only in asthma group (5.25–4.49 pg/mL, P = 0.023). The level of EBC soluble cluster of differentiation-40 ligand in COPD group increased after inhalation (1.07–1.16 pg/mL, P = 0.031), while IL-4 and IL-6 levels in EBC were significantly lower after inhalation in the COPD (0.80–0.64 pg/mL, P = 0.025) and asthma (0.06–0.05 pg/mL, P = 0.007) group, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A single inhalation of hydrogen for 45 min attenuated inflammatory status in airways in patients with asthma and COPD.