Decreased cortisol response to insulin induced hypoglycaemia in asthmatics treated with inhaled fluticasone propionate

Advances with glucocorticoids in the treatment of asthma: state of the art

INTRODUCTION

Asthma is one of the most frequent chronic diseases all over the world. Glucocorticoids (GCs), both inhaled (ICSs) and oral (OCSs), are the most effective treatment in asthma because they control symptoms and prevent exacerbations.

AREAS COVERED

The present article reviews the new therapeutic indications of GCs for the treatment of asthma and focuses on new molecules and safety issues.

EXPERT OPINION

Most patients with asthma benefit from corticosteroid-based treatments. Side effects are mainly due to prolonged use of oral GCs, while they are minor with inhaled GCs. Interesting insights come from the new ICSs, which are characterized by lower oral bioavailability and higher lipophilicity and are more effective with less side effects. Recent trials have shown the efficacy of early use of ICSs in mild asthma. Furthermore, the possibility to prescribe targeted therapies using specific biomarkers in steroid-sensitive asthma can reduce doses and duration of treatment, while biological agents should be reserved for non-responding patients. All this evidence confirm the need to continue on the path toward precision medicine, in which the treatments are based on clinical and molecular traits.

Inhaled corticosteroid-phobia and childhood asthma: Current understanding and management implications

Asthma is the most prevalent chronic disease in children. Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) is the first-line controller therapy for children with persistent asthma, however, suboptimal compliance to ICS therapy remains as a major obstacle in paediatric asthma management. Steroid-phobia, the fear of side-effects and subsequent aversion of ICS, has been widely reported in parents of asthmatic children. The reported prevalence of steroid-phobia varies widely from 19% to 67% in different populations. The concerns about ICS frequently raised by parents include growth suppression, weight gain, bone weakness, addiction and psychiatric disturbances. Outside of growth suppression, which is statistically significant yet mild in clinical studies, the other concerns are not evidence-based and are misconceptions. Conflicting results have been reported regarding the impact of steroid-phobia on ICS compliance. In contrast, steroid-phobia has consistent and negative effects on asthma control in children. While asthma educational programmes have demonstrable benefits in general paediatric populations, the generalisability of such programmes to steroid-phobic parents remains undetermined. There is a paucity of data on specific educational programmes to clear misconceptions and reduce steroid-phobia. Given the continually raising prevalence of paediatric asthma, high-quality studies are warranted to investigate the prevalence and impact of steroid-phobia, with an ultimate goal of developing effective strategies to tackle steroid-phobia and improve asthma care in children.

Long-Term Cortisol Concentration in Scalp Hair of Asthmatic Children Using Inhaled Corticosteroids: A Case-Control Study

INTRODUCTION

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) can interfere with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and may lead to adrenal insufficiency, resulting in a decrease of cortisol production. Cortisol levels measured in scalp hair provide a marker for long-term cortisol exposure. Data regarding hair cortisol concentration (HCC) in asthmatic children with ICS therapy are scarce. The aim of this study is to compare HCC in asthmatic children under ICS treatment with a healthy control group.

METHODS

We set up a case-control study measuring the cortisol concentration in scalp hair in asthmatic children (N = 80) treated with ICS and healthy controls (N = 252) aged 4-18 years. Anthropometric characteristics and hair samples from the posterior vertex were obtained. At least 5 mg of the most proximal 3 cm of hair was used for each hair sample. HCC was analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

RESULTS

HCC did not significantly differ between asthmatic children using ICS and healthy controls (p = 0.950) after adjustment for age, gender, height, body mass index, and socioeconomic status. No correlation was found between budesonide dosage and HCC levels (r = -0.031, p = 0.78).

CONCLUSION

There was no evidence of suppression of basal cortisol production, as measured in scalp hair, in asthmatic children using ICS, compared to healthy controls. No conclusions can be drawn on the HPA-axis stress response in these children.

CSACI position statement: systemic effect of inhaled corticosteroids on adrenal suppression in the management of pediatric asthma

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that affects a growing number of children and adolescents. Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the mainstay of treatment in persistent asthma, with a stepwise approach to increasing doses of ICS depending on asthma severity and control. ICS have known local and systemic side effects, of which adrenal suppression is still under-recognized. The latter is associated with chronic exposure and higher doses, although it has rarely been reported in children receiving low doses for a short period of time. The Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (CSACI) therefore recommends that physicians screen for adrenal suppression in children receiving high doses for more than 6 months and to consider screening those on medium dose if the risk is deemed higher by factors that increase an individual's systemic corticosteroid exposure. Morning serum cortisol level can be used as a screening tool and abnormal results or normal results with a high index of suspicion should be confirmed with low-dose ACTH stimulation tests.

Steroid treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis in adults

Topical steroid therapy has been used to treat eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) for more than 15 years. We review the treatment trials of topical steroid therapy in adult patients with EoE. Currently, there is no commercially available preparation designed to deliver the steroid to the esophagus. Current regimens consist of swallowing steroid preparations designed for inhalation treatment for asthma. In the short term, steroids are associated with an approximately 15% to 25% incidence of asymptomatic esophageal candidiasis, but otherwise appear to be well tolerated.

Early morning salivary cortisol and cortisone, and adrenal responses to a simplified low-dose short Synacthen test in children with asthma

OBJECTIVE

To examine serum cortisol responses to a simplified low-dose short Synacthen test (LDSST) in children treated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) for asthma and to compare these to early morning salivary cortisol (EMSC) and cortisone (EMSCn) levels.

DESIGN

Early morning salivary cortisol and EMSCn samples were collected for three consecutive days. On day three, Synacthen 500 ng/1·73 m(2) was administered intravenously. Samples were collected at 0, 15, 25, 35 min.

RESULTS

A total of 269 subjects (160 M: 109 F), median (range) age 10·0 (5·1-15·2) years were studied. Peak cortisol in the LDSST was <500 nmol/l in 101 subjects (37·5%) and <350 nmol/l in 12 subjects (4·5%). Basal cortisol correlated with peak cortisol: r = 0·55, (95% CI: 0·46, 0·63, P < 0·0001). Time at which peak cortisol concentration was achieved was significantly related to the value of peak cortisol (P < 0·0001), with higher cortisol peaks occurring later in the test and lower cortisol peaks occurring earlier. EMSC and EMSCn had no predictive value for the identification of patients with a peak cortisol <500 nmol/l. EMSCn was superior to EMSC in identifying patients with a peak cortisol <350 nmol/l: a minimum EMSCn cut-off value of 12·5 nmol/l gave a negative predictive value of 99·2% and positive predictive value of 30·1%.

CONCLUSION

Our data illustrate that basal measures of cortisol are likely to be of value in screening populations for patients at greatest risk of adrenal crisis. EMSCn shows promise as a screening tool for the identification of patients with severe adrenal insufficiency.

Swallowed fluticasone improves histologic but not symptomatic response of adults with eosinophilic esophagitis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

We evaluated the effect of aerosolized fluticasone therapy on symptomatic dysphagia and histologic eosinophilia in adults with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE).

METHODS

We performed a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of fluticasone in 42 adult patients with a new diagnosis of EoE (30 men; mean age, 37.5 y). Participants were assigned randomly to groups that swallowed 880 μg of aerosolized fluticasone twice daily (n = 21), or took a placebo inhaler twice daily (n = 15) for 6 weeks. End points of the study were symptomatic and histologic response.

RESULTS

A complete histologic response (>90% decrease in mean eosinophil count) was observed in 11 of 15 subjects who received 6 weeks of fluticasone (62%), compared with none of the 15 subjects who received placebo (P < .001), based on intention-to-treat analysis; histologic responses were observed in 68% of subjects who received fluticasone (13 of 19) compared with none of those who received placebo (0 of 15) by per-protocol analysis (P < .001). Intracellular staining for eosinophil-derived neurotoxin was reduced in 81% of subjects who received fluticasone (13 of 16) compared with 8% who received placebo (1 of 13) (P < .001). Dysphagia was reduced in 57% of subjects who received fluticasone (12 of 21) compared with 33% who received placebo (7 of 21) (P = .22) by intention-to-treat analysis; dysphagia was reduced in 63% of patients who received fluticasone (12 of 19) and 47% of those who received placebo (7 of 15) (P = .49) based on per-protocol analysis. Esophageal candidiasis developed in 26% of subjects who received fluticasone (5 of 19), but in none of the subjects in the placebo group (P = .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Aerosolized, swallowed fluticasone leads to a histologic but not a symptomatic response in adults with EoE.

Adrenal suppression: A practical guide to the screening and management of this under-recognized complication of inhaled corticosteroid therapy

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) are the most effective anti-inflammatory agents available for the treatment of asthma and represent the mainstay of therapy for most patients with the disease. Although these medications are considered safe at low-to-moderate doses, safety concerns with prolonged use of high ICS doses remain; among these concerns is the risk of adrenal suppression (AS). AS is a condition characterized by the inability to produce adequate amounts of the glucocorticoid, cortisol, which is critical during periods of physiological stress. It is a proven, yet under-recognized, complication of most forms of glucocorticoid therapy that can persist for up to 1 year after cessation of corticosteroid treatment. If left unnoticed, AS can lead to significant morbidity and even mortality. More than 60 recent cases of AS have been described in the literature and almost all cases have involved children being treated with ≥500 μg/day of fluticasone.

The risk for AS can be minimized through increased awareness and early recognition of at-risk patients, regular patient follow-up to ensure that the lowest effective ICS doses are being utilized to control asthma symptoms, and by choosing an ICS medication with minimal adrenal effects. Screening for AS should be considered in any child with symptoms of AS, children using high ICS doses, or those with a history of prolonged oral corticosteroid use. Cases of AS should be managed in consultation with a pediatric endocrinologist whenever possible. In patients with proven AS, stress steroid dosing during times of illness or surgery is needed to simulate the protective endogenous elevations in cortisol levels that occur with physiological stress.

This article provides an overview of current literature on AS as well as practical recommendations for the prevention, screening and management of this serious complication of ICS therapy.

A longitudinal assessment of the effect of inhaled fluticasone propionate therapy on adrenal function and growth in young children with asthma

OBJECTIVE

Fluticasone proprionate (FP) is increasingly used to treat very young children with asthma. Its safety in terms of effects on the hypothalamic pituitary axis (HPA) and growth in this age group is uncertain.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eleven children (median (range) age 10 (5.6-24.3) months) presenting with recurrent wheeze and family history of asthma were studied prospectively for a period of 18 months. Children received daily-inhaled FP 250 microg via a spacer device. No other corticosteroid therapy was administered prior to or during the study. A Short Standard Synacthen Test (SST) (125 microg) was performed pretreatment, and after 6 and 18 months. Weight (Wt), height (Ht), and body mass index (BMI) were measured at 3-6 monthly intervals.

RESULTS

Fasting early morning and peak cortisol levels remained within the normal reference range with therapy. There were no changes in Ht SDS, whereas both Wt SDS (baseline 0.05 (-2.17 to 0.52) vs. +18 months 0.68 (-0.5 to 1.36) P < 0.02) and BMI SDS (-0.22 (-1.73 to 0.75) vs. 0.86 (0.03 to 1.99) P < 0.005) increased after 18 months of treatment.

CONCLUSION

Daily treatment with inhaled FP 250 microg in young children with asthma appears to have no adverse effects on the HPA or on linear growth, however, treatment is associated with increases in body Wt and BMI in young children.

Asthma

Asthma has been recognized as a disease since the earliest times. In the Corpus Hippocraticum, Hippocrates used the term “ασθμα” to indicate any form of breathing difficulty manifesting itself by panting. Aretaeus of Cappadocia, a well-known Greek physician (second century A.D.), is credited with providing the first detailed description of an asthma attack [13], and to Celsus it was a disease with wheezing and noisy, violent breathing. In the history of Rome, we find many members of the Julio-Claudian family affected with probable atopic respiratory disorders: Caesar Augustus suffered from bronchoconstriction, seasonal rhinitis as well as a highly pruritic skin disease. Claudius suffered from rhinoconjunctivitis and Britannicus was allergic to horse dander [529]. Maimonides (1136–1204) warned that to neglect treatment of asthma could prove fatal, whereas until the 19th century, European scholars defined it as “nervous asthma,” a term that was given to mean a defect of conductivity of the ninth pair of cranial nerves.

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis suppression in asthmatic children on inhaled corticosteroids (Part 2)--the risk as determined by gold standard adrenal function tests: a systematic review

The evidence for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) suppression by inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) was found to be conflicting. Reviewers have not distinguished between gold standard and basal adrenal function tests. The utility of the latter is limited by physiological and pathological variability as well as by methodological concerns. The risk of HPA suppression in asthmatic children and adolescents treated with ICS, as determined by gold standard adrenal function tests, needs to be established. A systematic review of the literature from January 1973 to July 2005 was performed. The Medline and Cochrane databases were searched, the reference lists of retrieved articles were inspected and pharmaceutical companies were approached. Randomized-controlled trials, cohort and case-control studies designed to detect HPA suppression caused by ICS, diagnosed by the insulin tolerance test (ITT) or the metyrapone test, performed on asthmatics of all ages not on oral steroids, were included and assessed for methodological quality. Of the 22 identified studies only four met the criteria for inclusion. All of these were published before 1988 and only one was methodologically sound. The cohort study showed that the baseline risk for HPA suppression is 0% while the absolute risk is 100% in asthmatic children treated with a beclomethasone dipropionate metered dose inhaler at a dose of 250-600 mug/m(2)/day for 6-42 months. As suggested by other observations these results could be generalized to other ICS. They may be of clinical significance especially if children are subjected to stress. Further research is needed to establish the cumulative dose for all ICS at which HPA suppression will be precipitated. Guidelines for future trials are suggested.

Adrenocortical suppression increases the risk of relapse in nephrotic syndrome

OBJECTIVE

Children with nephrotic syndrome (NS) are usually treated with long-term low dose alternate day prednisolone with or without glucocorticoid sparing therapy, such as levamisole or ciclosporin, to maintain remission. The degree of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) suppression with such therapeutic strategies has not been studied systematically. HPA suppression could cause a relapse or adrenal crisis.

STUDY DESIGN

To study the risks of HPA suppression, a modified low dose synacthen test (0.5 mug) was administered to 32 patients (22 male,10 female) with a mean age of 9.7 years (range 3.8-17.6 years) with NS receiving long-term alternate day prednisolone for over 12 months. Twelve patients received alternate day prednisolone, 11 alternate prednisolone+levamisole and nine alternate prednisolone+ciclosporin. All patients were followed up for 3 years and the relapse rate noted.

RESULTS

20/32 (62.5%) patients had a peak serum cortisol concentration of <500 nmol/l, which suggested suboptimal cortisol secretion and possible HPA suppression. 10/12 children in the prednisolone group and 8/11 in the levamisole group had a suboptimal cortisol response compared with 2/9 in the ciclosporin group. During follow-up, the 20 children who had a suboptimal cortisol response had significantly more relapses (95 relapses) compared to the 12 children with a normal cortisol response who had 24 relapses (p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Children with NS receiving long-term alternate day prednisolone therapy are at risk of developing HPA suppression and should be evaluated using the modified synacthen test. Children with evidence of HPA suppression are at a greater risk of relapse.

Adrenal responses to low dose synthetic ACTH (Synacthen) in children receiving high dose inhaled fluticasone

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Clinical adrenal insufficiency has been reported with doses of inhaled fluticasone proprionate (FP) > 400 microg/day, the maximum dose licensed for use in children with asthma. Following two cases of serious adrenal insufficiency (one fatal) attributed to FP, adrenal function was evaluated in children receiving FP outwith the licensed dose.

METHODS

Children recorded as prescribed FP > or = 500 microg/day were invited to attend for assessment. Adrenal function was measured using the low dose Synacthen test (500 ng/1.73 m2 intravenously) and was categorised as: biochemically normal (peak cortisol response > 500 nmol/l); impaired (peak cortisol < or = 500 nmol/l); or flat (peak cortisol < or = 500 nmol/l with increment of < 200 nmol/l and basal morning cortisol < 200 nmol/l).

RESULTS

A total of 422 children had been receiving FP alone or in combination with salmeterol; 202 were not investigated (137 FP within license; 24 FP discontinued); 220 attended and 217 (age 2.6-19.3 years) were successfully tested. Of 194 receiving FP > or = 500 microg/day, six had flat responses, 82 impaired responses, 104 were normal, and in 2 the LDST was unsuccessful. Apart from the index child, the other five with flat responses were asymptomatic; a further child with impairment (peak cortisol 296 nmol/l) had encephalopathic symptoms with borderline hypoglycaemia during an intercurrent illness. The six with flat responses and the symptomatic child were all receiving FP doses of > or = 1000 microg/day.

CONCLUSION

Overall, flat adrenal responses in association with FP occurred in 2.8% of children tested, all receiving > or = 1000 microg/day, while impaired responses were seen in 39.6%. Children on above licence FP doses should have adrenal function monitoring as well as a written plan for emergency steroid replacement.

Safety of inhaled corticosteroids: room for improvement

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the standard of care in asthma and are widely used in the treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. High-dose regimens and long-term use of ICS in predisposed individuals may be associated with a variety of side effects, similar to those observed with systemic corticosteroid therapy. Side effects associated with long-term ICS use include reduction in growth velocity, cataracts, glaucoma, osteoporosis, and fractures. Fear of unwanted complications may be of concern in all patients using ICS, particularly in age- and gender-specific populations that are more prone to develop side effects or to reduce treatment adherence because of physical, behavioral, or psychological problems. In addition to concerns about ICS safety, dosing regimens that are difficult to follow may further reduce a patient's ability to comply with treatment. Ciclesonide, a new-generation ICS with unique pharmacokinetic properties, was developed to provide effective anti-inflammatory control for asthma with once-daily administration to improve patient adherence and a high safety profile to reduce the occurrence of local and systemic side effects.