Method for treating infectious respiratory diseases

Abstract

A method of treating pneumonia caused by a microorganism by administering directly into the lower respiratory tract of a host an amount of an anti-inflammatory agent effective to reduce inflammation is provided. The method may further include administering to a host an amount of an anti-infectious agent with activity against the microorganism effective to reduce the concentration of the microorganism.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method of treating pneumonia in a host, susceptible to or suffering from pneumonia caused by a microorganism selected from a virus, a bacterium, a fungus, and Pneumocystis carinii, comprising administering directly into the lower respiratory tract of the host an anti-inflammatory agent selected from a corticosteroid, indomethacin, ibuprofen, and acetylsalicylic acid at a dosage of from 0.1 μg to 1000 mg/kg body weight of the host to reduce inflammation and an anti-infectious agent with activity against said microorganism at a dosage of from 0.1 μg to 1000 mg/kg body weight of the host to reduce the concentration of said microorganism; the anti-inflammatory agent and the anti-infectious agent being administered in the form of a small particle aerosol having a size less than 10 microns. 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-infectious agent is administered topically, orally, intravenously, or intraperitoneally. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-inflammatory agent is a corticosteroid. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the corticosteroid is selected from the group consisting of cortisone, hydrocortisone, triamcinolone, dexamethasone, and beclamethasone. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-inflammatory agent is administered intranasally. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the microorganism is influenza virus type A, influenza virus type B, influenza virus type C, parainfluenza virus type 1, parainfluenza virus type 2, parainfluenza virus type 3, respiratory syncytial virus, a respiratory coronavirus, or a respiratory adenovirus. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the microorganism is parainfluenza virus type 3, respiratory syncytial virus, or adenovirus type 5. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-infectious agent is an antibody to said microorganism. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the antibody is a polyclonal or monoclonal antibody. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-infectious agent is human immunoglobulin which comprises antibodies to said microorganism. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein said human immunoglobulin is human immunoglobulin G is a dosage of from 0.1 μg to 100 mg/kg body weight of the host. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , wherein said microorganism is respiratory syncytial virus or parainfluenza virus type 3. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-infectious agent is an anti-bacterial agent, antifungal agent, anti-parasitic agent, or anti-viral agent. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-infectious agent is an anti-viral agent selected from the group consisting of ribavirin and amantidine. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the host is a mammal. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the host is a human. 
     
     
       17. A method of treating infectious pneumonia and infectious bronchiolitis in a human host, susceptible to or suffering from pneumonia or bronchiolitis caused by respiratory syncytial virus or parainfluenza virus type 3, comprising concurrently administering directly  into the lower respiratory tract of the human  host an anti-inflammatory agent selected from a corticosteroid, indomethacin, ibuprofen, and acetylsalicylic acid at a dosage of from 0.1 μg to 1000 mg/kg body weight of the host to reduce inflammation and an  a human immunoglobulin G at a dosage of from 0.1 μg to 100 mg/kg body weight of the host to reduce the concentration of the respiratory syncytial virus or parainfluenza virus type 3, the anti-inflammatory agent and the anti-infectious agent being administered in the form of a small particle aerosol having a size less than 10 microns. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the anti-inflammatory agent is a corticosteroid. 
     
     
       19. A method of treating pneumonia in a host, susceptible to or suffering from pneumonia caused by parainfluenza virus type 3, adenovirus type 5, or respiratory syncytial virus, comprising administering directly into the lower respiratory tract of the host an anti-inflammatory agent selected from a corticosteroid, indomethacin, ibuprofen, and acetylsalicylic acid at a dosage of from 0.1 μg to 1000 mg/kg body weight of the host to reduce inflammation and an anti-infectious agent with activity against said virus at a dosage of from 0.1 μg to 1000 mg/kg body weight of the host to reduce the concentration of said virus, the anti-inflammatory agent and the anti-infectious agent being administered in the form of a small particle aerosol having a size less than 10 microns. 
     
     
       20. A medication that comprises aerosol particles having a size of less than 10 microns comprising an anti-infectious agent with activity against an infectious agent at a dosage of from 0.1 μg to 1000 mg/kg body weight of a host to reduce the concentration of said infectious agent and an anti-inflammatory agent selected from a corticosteroid, indomethacin, ibuprofen, and acetylsalicylic acid at a dosage of from 0.1 μg to 1000 mg/kg weight of the host to reduce inflammation. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 1  wherein the anti-inflammatory agent is administered at a dosage of 2 μg to 0.2 mg/kg and the anti-infectious agent is administered at a dosage of 2 μg to 200 mg/kg. 
     
     
       22. A method of treating infectious pneumonia and infectious bronchiolitis in a mammalian host, susceptible to or suffering from pneumonia or bronchiolitis caused by a microorganism selected from a virus, a bacterium, a fungus, and  Pneumocystis carinii  an infectious agent selected from the group consisting of influenza virus type A, influenza virus type B, influenza virus type C, parainfluenza virus type  1 , parainfluenza virus type  2 , parainfluenza virus type  3 , respiratory syncytial virus, respiratory coronavirus, respiratory adenovirus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella, Legionella, Coccidiodes immitus, Histoplasma capsulatum, Cryptococcus neoformans, Pneumocystis carnii, and rickettsia  comprising topically concurrently administering directly  into the lower respiratory tract of the host an anti-inflammatory agent selected from a corticosteroid, indomethacin, ibuprofen, and acetylsalicylic acid  at a dosage of from 0.1 82 g   0 . 1  μg to 1000 mg/kg body weight of the host to reduce inflammation and an human immunoglobulin G at a dosage of from 0.1 μg to 100 mg/kg body weight of the host to reduce the concentration of said infectious agent, microorganism, the anti-inflammatory agent and the human immunoglobulin G being administered in the form of a small particle aerosol having a size less than 10 microns. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the anti- inflammatory agent is selected from the group consisting of a corticosteroid, indomethacin, ibuprofen, and acetylsalicylic acid.   
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 22 , wherein the anti- inflammatory agent is selected from the group consisting of a corticosteroid, indomethacin, ibuprofen, and acetylsalicylic acid.