Pulse intravenous methylprednisolone for resistant allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in cystic fibrosis

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) results from a hypersensitivity response to Aspergillus fumigatus. It is seen in a number of chronic respiratory conditions, particularly in association with cystic fibrosis (CF). Oral corticosteroids and itraconazole represent the mainstay of treatment. There is evidence for the use of pulse methylprednisolone in other respiratory conditions as well as a number of inflammatory conditions. This is the first reported use of pulse intravenous methylprednisolone in the treatment of ABPA in CF. We present the clinical course of four children with CF and severe ABPA, in whom pulse methyprednisolone was used to manage the disease because of relapses or marked side effects on high-dose oral corticosteroids. Methylprednisolone pulses achieved disease control in 3 of the 4 children. However, troublesome side effects were experienced, in some cases necessitating discontinuation of therapy. Pulse methylprednisolone may represent a treatment option for children with CF and ABPA, where ABPA fails to respond adequately to routine therapy.     

Use of inhaled fluticasone propionate to control respiratory manifestations of relapsing polychondritis

Effective management of respiratory tract involvement is very important in improving the prognosis of relapsing polychondritis (RPC). This case report describes a 19-year-old patient with RPC, who required frequent hospitalization due to recurrent exacerbations of airway obstruction. Use of high-dose fluticasone propionate effectively reduced the amount of oral corticosteroid necessary to control inflammation of the airway mucosa and dramatically decreased the patient's obstructive airway impairment. This report is the first illustrating the effectiveness and safety of inhaled corticosteroids in the control of the respiratory manifestations of RPC.     

依托咪酯全凭静脉麻醉在食道癌根治术中的临床观察

目的：观察依托咪酯全凭静脉麻醉（total intervenous anesthesia,TIVA）在食道癌根治术围术期患者血浆皮质醇含量及血流动力学的变化。方法将ASAⅡ～Ⅲ级择期拟行食道癌根治术患者60例随机分为依托咪酯组（E组,n=30）和丙泊酚组（P组,n=30）。E组麻醉诱导依托咪酯为0.3mg·kg^-1;P组麻醉诱导时丙泊酚为1.5mg·kg^-1,两组其余诱导药物一致。分别于麻醉诱导前5min（T0）、手术结束时（T1）、术后24h（T2）、48h（T3）和72h（T4）抽取静脉血测定患者血浆皮质醇浓度;记录麻醉前、诱导后、插管时刻、插管后10min、切皮时、手术1h及术毕血流动力学的变化;记录两组患者睁眼时间,拔管时间和围术期不良反应。结果：P组各观察时点血浆皮质醇浓度均有不同程度的升高;E组的T1血浆皮质醇浓度下降明显,与麻醉前和P组比较有统计学意义（P〈0.05）;两组患者术后48h血浆皮质醇浓度明显升高,与麻醉前比较有统计学意义（P〈0.05）,术后72h均可恢复至术前水平。两组患者术中血流动学均有不同程度的变化,以P组波动较为明显,E组则较平稳;E组的拔管时间比P组长（P〈0.05）,而睁眼时间无统计学意义（P〉0.05）;E组患者麻醉诱导肌颤发生率明显高于P组（P〈0.05）。结论：依托咪酯对血流动学影响较轻,围术期无严重不良反应,可长时间、大剂量安全用于无肾上腺皮质功能减退的重大创伤患者的全凭静脉麻醉。     

Alveolar-capillary membrane permeability for early prediction of response of inhaled steroid on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Glucocorticosteroid reversibility-testing is undertaken over a period of 3 months to identify whether patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) would benefit from long-term inhaled corticosteroids. This study assessed whether alveolar-capillary membrane (a/c) permeability testing can be used as an early alternative test method for the same purpose. METHODS: Fourteen patients with severe and symptomatic moderate COPD (group S) were prescribed inhaled steroid 800 microg/day for 3 months. Before inhalation and 4 weeks after inhalation therapy, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) and a/c permeability using (99m)Tc-DTPA were performed. FEV(1) was recorded again at the end of the third month. Another 10 patients with COPD of comparable severity (group B) prescribed with inhaled bronchodilators were examined and studied as controls. RESULTS: In group S, the permeability decreased in eight patients (group D) and increased in six patients (group I). No significant change was noted in FEV(1) at the end of the first month. However, seven patients in group D showed significant improvement in FEV(1) at the end of the third month, whereas in patients in group I no significant changes were observed. In group B, no significant change in a/c permeability was observed, although the FEV(1) increased by 12-17%. CONCLUSION: With steroid inhalation, the a/c permeability at 4 weeks predicts future changes in lung functions. Long-term inhaled corticosteroids are likely to be useful if permeability decreases. This test, which needs further validation, appears to provide much earlier prediction of response than glucocorticoid reversibility testing.     

Repeated courses of antenatal corticosteroids: Are there effects on the infant's auditory brainstem responses?

Our objective was to assess the effects of repeated antenatal corticosteroid treatments on the neonatal auditory brainstem response (ABR), a sensitive measure of neonatal brain maturity and auditory function. To achieve this, we performed and blindly evaluated neonatal ABRs on a subset of infants delivering within a multicenter randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial comparing single versus repeated courses of antenatal corticosteroid treatments for women at 23–31 weeks gestation who remained at increased risk for preterm birth. The women were randomly assigned to either the single or the repeated antenatal corticosteroid treatment group. Women in the repeated antenatal corticosteroid group received weekly antenatal corticosteroid treatments until 34 weeks gestation or until they reached a study-determined limited number of courses, whereas women in the single antenatal corticosteroid group received an initial course of corticosteroid followed by weekly placebo injections. We performed ABR testing on their infants prior to discharge. The latencies of waves I, III and V and the peak-to-trough amplitudes of waves I and V were compared between those in the single (n = 27) and repeated antenatal corticosteroid treatment (n = 24) groups. The majority of repeated antenatal corticosteroid infants (20 of 24) were exposed to ≥ 4 antenatal corticosteroid treatments. Even though gestational age was similar between our subset of single and repeated antenatal corticosteroid treatment groups, infant birth weight and length and head circumference were significantly smaller in the repeated antenatal corticosteroid group (p < 0.05). Despite these differences in birth sizes, there were no significant group differences in the ABR wave latencies or amplitudes. We concluded that our repeated antenatal corticosteroid treatments, in comparison to a single treatment, did not significantly benefit or harm the neonatal ABR despite significant effects on birth size.     

Lupus pernio with multiple bone cysts in the fingers

A 32-year-old Japanese man presented with a 3-year history of purple reddish, and painful swelling of his fingers along with indurated erythema on his nose and ears. He was diagnosed as having sarcoidosis 8 years prior because of uveitis and bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy. X-rays of the hands revealed multiple cystic lesions in the phalanges. Histological examination of the ear revealed epithelioid cell granulomas in the dermis. Oral prednisolone 20 mg/day improved his finger swelling and pain; however, his finger deformities and erythema remain unchanged. Bone involvement is sometimes seen in sarcoidosis and the hands are the most frequently affected areas. The frequency of bone involvement is higher in lupus pernio in comparison with other types of skin sarcoidosis. Systemic corticosteroids could be the first choice of treatment to relieve the symptoms.     

Once-daily fluticasone furoate/vilanterol versus twice-daily fluticasone propionate/salmeterol in patients with asthma well controlled on ICS/LABA

Objective: We aimed to demonstrate non-inferiority of once-daily fluticasone furoate/vilanterol 100/25 µg (FF/VI) to twice-daily fluticasone propionate/salmeterol 250/50 µg (FP/SAL) in adults/adolescents with asthma well controlled on inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β₂ agonist (ICS/LABA). Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group, 24-week study (NCT02301975/GSK study 201378). Patients whose asthma met study-defined criteria for control were randomized 1:1:1 to receive FF/VI, FP/SAL or twice-daily FP 250 µg for 24 weeks. Primary endpoint was change from baseline in evening trough forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁). Secondary endpoints included rescue-/symptom-free 24-hour periods. Safety was also assessed. Results: The intent-to-treat (ITT) population included 1504 randomized and treated patients (504 FF/VI; 501 FP/SAL; 499 FP); mean age 43.5 years, 64% female. FF/VI demonstrated non-inferiority (using a margin of ?100 mL) to FP/SAL for evening trough FEV₁ at Week 24 (ITT: 19 mL [95% confidence interval (CI) ?11 to 49]; per protocol population [N = 1336]: 6 mL [95% CI ?27 to 40]). Improvement in evening trough FEV₁ at Week 24 for both FF/VI (123 mL; p < 0.001) and FP/SAL (104 mL; p < 0.001) was greater than FP. FF/VI increased rescue-/symptom-free 24-hour periods by 1.2%/1.2% compared with FP/SAL. All treatments were well tolerated. On-treatment adverse event (AE) rates were 43% to 45% across arms; there were no drug-related serious AEs. Conclusions: FF/VI was non-inferior to FP/SAL for evening trough FEV₁ at 24 weeks. These data suggest that patients well controlled on FP/SAL could step across to FF/VI without loss of control.     

Combination Inhalers Containing Inhaled Corticosteroids and Long-Acting β2-Agonists: Improved Clinical Efficacy and Dosing Options in Patients with Asthma

Combination therapy with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long-acting β₂-agonists (LABA) is a recognized treatment for adults with moderate to severe asthma. The introduction of inhalers containing both an ICS and a LABA simplifies treatment and improves asthma control. This review discusses clinical evidence that budesonide/formoterol and salmeterol/fluticasone are effective and well tolerated in asthma treatment. Moreover, the rapid onset of effect and long duration of action of budesonide and formoterol make once-daily dosing, adjustable maintenance dosing, and the novel treatment strategy of using budesonide/formoterol for maintenance and as needed for symptom relief, valuable treatment options for patients with asthma.     

Impact of a Care Manager on the Outcomes of Higher Risk Asthmatic Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Asthma care management programs may improve outcomes, but it is not clear which aspects of such management are responsible for the improvement. We performed a randomized controlled trial of a limited intervention (one visit with asthma self-management education and provision of inhaled budesonide) compared to this visit plus regular asthma care manager follow-up. Quality of life, symptom-free days, emergency hospital care, and beta-agonist dispensings did not differ between groups at 12 months. Patients who entered the study did receive significantly less beta-agonists in the follow-up year than patients who did not enter the study. These data suggest that the limited intervention in our setting improved outcomes but that regular care manager follow-up thereafter did not add significantly to this intervention.