The University of Hong Kong announced on Thursday a study result that inhaled corticosteroid therapy (ICS) can improve bronchiectasis.

Conducted by the Department of Medicine of the university of Hong Kong, the study revealed that inhaled corticosteroid therapy reduces airway inflammation in bronchiectasis, which is regarded as a major pathogenic element in bronchiectasis.

According to the university, bronchiectasis is a very common respiratory disease among the Chinese and Orientals in general.

Bronchiectasis occurs when the large airways are dilated permanently. This would result in poor drainage of mucus and dirt from the lungs, and therefore infection and inflammation.

Patients with bronchiectasis suffer from regular production of sputum, cough, shortness of breath, recurrent exacerbation, and progressive deterioration of lung health.

Many severely affected patients harbor Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ( PA) in their airway, which is associated with more severe symptoms and more extensive lung damage.

The study results show that ICS treatment is beneficial to bronchiectasis patients as it help reduce patients' sputum volume and exacerbation frequency. ICS is found even more effective on fluticasone patients with PA infection.

The study has been published by the international medical journal "Thorax" in March 2005.

The researchers said further research on the combination of other treatment modalities would help enhance the treatment of bronchiectasis patients in the future.