Adrenal function as assessed by low-dose adrenocorticotropin hormone test before and after switching from inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate to inhaled fluticasone propionate

Adrenal Insufficiency in Corticosteroids Use: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to estimate pooled percentages of patients with adrenal insufficiency after treatment with corticosteroids for various conditions in a meta-analysis. Secondly, we aimed to stratify the results by route of administration, disease, treatment dose, and duration.

METHODS

We searched seven electronic databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, COCHRANE, CENTRAL, Web of Science, and CINAHL/Academic Search Premier) in February 2014 to identify potentially relevant studies. Original articles testing adult corticosteroid users for adrenal insufficiency were eligible.

RESULTS

We included 74 articles with a total of 3753 participants. Stratified by administration form, percentages of patients with adrenal insufficiency ranged from 4.2% for nasal administration (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.5-28.9) to 52.2% for intra-articular administration (95% CI, 40.5-63.6). Stratified by disease, percentages ranged from 6.8% for asthma with inhalation corticosteroids only (95% CI, 3.8-12.0) to 60.0% for hematological malignancies (95% CI, 38.0-78.6). The risk also varied according to dose from 2.4% (95% CI, 0.6-9.3) (low dose) to 21.5% (95% CI, 12.0-35.5) (high dose), and according to treatment duration from 1.4% (95% CI, 0.3-7.4) (<28 d) to 27.4% (95% CI, 17.7-39.8) (>1 year) in asthma patients.

CONCLUSIONS

1) Adrenal insufficiency after discontinuation of glucocorticoid occurs frequently; 2) there is no administration form, dosing, treatment duration, or underlying disease for which adrenal insufficiency can be excluded with certainty, although higher dose and longer use give the highest risk; 3) the threshold to test corticosteroid users for adrenal insufficiency should be low in clinical practice, especially for those patients with nonspecific symptoms after cessation.

Evidence-based selection of inhaled corticosteroid for treatment of chronic asthma

Published literature relevant to comparison of various inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) was reviewed. Marked heterogeneity was found in the reported results. The efficacy and side effects of ICSs depend on their formulation, dosing and device used, and the subjects' age, severity of asthma, and inhaler technique. All these factors have not been included uniformly in most study designs. Notwithstanding this limitation, it appears that fluticasone is generally very effective and safe in low-to-medium doses and may be used for most patients. Budesonide is the only Pregnancy Category B ICSs, all others being Category C, and it is available as nebulizer suspension suitable for use in children over 6 months of age. Budesonide, also available as dry powder inhaler, and beclomethasone, available as metered-dose inhaler, are equal in efficacy, and side effects and may be chosen according to the patient's ability to handle the device. Flunisolide causes fewer side effects but is also relatively less effective. Triamcinolone is generally less effective and causes more side effects than most of the other ICSs. Mometasone may be preferred if once-daily dosing is desired. Ciclesonide has been found highly effective in once-daily dose and without side effects even in high doses. Further studies comparing it with other ICSs over longer periods of use will determine its place in treatment of chronic asthma.

Concerns about intranasal corticosteroids for over-the-counter use: position statement of the Joint Task Force for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

The Joint Task Force for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology was charged with formulating a position paper regarding the potential release of intranasal corticosteroids for over-the-counter use. We took the position that safety issues regarding this proposal would be our sole concern. We reviewed the literature to evaluate the frequency and severity of potential adverse events related to the administration of intranasal corticosteroids. We limited this review to 5 areas: (1) effects on growth, (2) ocular effects, (3) effects on bone, (4) effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and (5) local adverse effects. After review of the available data, we concluded that intranasal corticosteroids should remain prescription-only drugs. Patients receiving an intranasal corticosteroid should be instructed in its use and that use should be monitored by a physician or an appropriately trained medical provider (eg, nurse practitioner or physician assistant) under the direct supervision of a physician. This conclusion was reached based on the evidence that corticosteroids administered by any route, including the intranasal route, have the potential to cause adverse effects in all the areas noted herein. Our conclusion was strengthened by the fact that these adverse effects can be insidious and therefore not evident for many years; there is the potential for overuse; patients could also have access to other forms of topically administered corticosteroids, thus increasing their total dose; and individuals vary in their susceptibility to corticosteroid-induced adverse effects. We were also influenced to take this position knowing that generally reassuring data regarding the use of respiratory tract-administered corticosteroids are based on mean data and that all such studies have shown outliers in whom adverse effects were evident. Thus, as stated, we recommend that intranasal corticosteroids remain prescription-only drugs.

Pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of R411, a dual alpha4beta1-alpha4beta7 integrin antagonist after oral administration at single and multiple once-daily ascending doses in healthy volunteers

R411 is a dual alpha4beta1-alpha4beta7 integrin antagonist under development for the treatment of chronic asthma. The objective of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics and safety of R411 and its active metabolite, RO0270608, in humans. A 3-part phase I trial was conducted in 132 healthy volunteers: (1) 12 subjects received 200 mg R411 as a single oral dose or 100 mg RO0270608 as an intravenous infusion in a 1-sequence crossover design; (2) 7 groups of 10 subjects received 1 of 7 single oral doses of R411 (10-1200 mg) in a parallel, placebo-controlled, ascending adaptive dose design; and (3) 5 groups of 10 subjects each received repeated oral qd doses of R411 (50-900 mg) for up to 3 weeks in a parallel, placebo-controlled, ascending adaptive dose design. The absolute bioavailability of RO0270608 (mean +/- standard deviation) after oral administration of R411 was 27% +/- 4%, and the terminal half-life was 7.33 +/- 2.29 hours. After IV infusion of RO0270608, total clearance (mean +/- standard deviation) was 19.4 +/- 7.1 L/h, and the volume of distribution was 93.1 +/- 36.1 L. After single ascending oral doses of R411, area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to infinity of active metabolite RO0270608 increased proportionally from 150 to 1200 mg (P > .05). Following repeated administration, the oral clearance was independent of time. No drug accumulation was observed, and no safety concerns were revealed up to a dose of 900 mg after up to 3 weeks of treatment.