Sulfonic acids, their derivatives and pharmaceutical compositions containing them

A method for inhibiting chemotaxis of human polymorphonuclear lymphocytes induced by IL-8 which comprises administering to an individual in need thereof an effective amount of a compound of formula (I):

• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof,
• wherein
• Ar is a substituted phenyl group selected from the group consisting of 3′-benzoylphenyl, 3′-(4-chloro-benzoyl)-phenyl, 3′-(4-methyl-benzoyl)-phenyl, 3′-acetyl-phenyl, 3′-propionyl-phenyl, 3′-isobutanoyl-phenyl, 4′-trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy-phenyl, 4′-benzenesulfonyloxy-phenyl, 4′-trifluoromethanesulfonylamino-phenyl, 4′-benzenesulfonylamino-phenyl, 4′-benzenesulfonylmethyl-phenyl, 4′-acetoxyphenyl, 4′-propionyloxy-phenyl, 4-benzoyloxy-phenyl, 4′acetylamino-phenyl, 4′propionylamino-phenyl, 4′-benzoylamino-phenyl, or a heteroaryl ring selected from the group consisting of pyridine, pyrrole, thiophene, furane and indole;
• X represents —CH2—, —CH(CH3)— or an ethylenic group of formula (II)
• in the E configuration wherein R′ is hydrogen (H) or CH3;
• Y is selected from oxygen (O) and NH;
• and
• when Y is O, R is H;
• when Y is NH, R is selected from the group consisting of H, C1-C5-alkyl, C1-C5cycloalkyl, C1-C5-alkenyl, C1-C5-acyl, a residue of formula —CH2—CH2—Z—(CH2—CH2O)nR″ wherein R″ is H or C1-C5 alkyl, n is an integer from 0 to 2 and Z is O or sulfur (S), or a residue of formula —(CH2)n-NRaRb wherein n is an integer from 0 to 5 and each Ra and Rb, which may be the same or different, are C1-C6-alkyl, C1-C6-alkenyl or Ra and Rb, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are bound, form a heterocycle from 3 to 7 members of formula (III)
• wherein W represents a single bond, CH2, O, S or N-Rc, Rc being H, C1-C6-alkyl or C1-C6-alkylphenyl.