Efficacy and systemic tolerability of mometasone furoate and betamethasone sodium phosphate

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis suppression and intranasal corticosteroid use: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Intranasal corticosteroids (INCS) are used in the management of sinonasal conditions. Use of exogenous steroids can be associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction and adrenal insufficiency (AI). We aimed to estimate the rate of AI after INCS use in a meta-analysis, stratified by steroid type and treatment duration.

METHODS

Ovid Medline, Embase Classic, PubMed, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases were searched following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to identify studies investigating INCS use and AI. AI was defined as morning serum cortisol <550 nmol/L and <80 nmol/L with and without adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation. INCS were classified as first (beclomethasone dipropionate, triamcinolone acetonide, beclomethasone, budesonide, dexamethasone) and second (ciclesonide, mometasone furoate, and fluticasone propionate) generation. Duration of treatment was classified as short (<1 month), medium (1-12 months), and long-term (>12 months) time periods.

RESULTS

This search identified 3668 articles. A total of 39 studies (1678 patients) were included in the final analysis. The pooled percentage of AI for routinely utilized first- and second-generation INCS was 0.70% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.29-1.12%). Stratified by type, AI was observed in 0.78% (95% CI, 0.25-1.30%) of first-generation and 0.58% (95% CI, -0.1% to 1.26%) of second-generation steroids. AI was seen in 0.48% (95% CI, -0.01% to 0.96%) of short-term, 1.13% (95% CI, 0.2-2.1%) of medium-term, and 1.67% (95% CI, 0.37-2.9%) of long-term use of INCS.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the use of INCS carries a low risk for AI. Although modest, this risk may differ depending on the length of duration and type of INCS used. Informing patients of these risks is of importance for the treatment of chronic sinonasal conditions.

Saliva as a Future Field in Psoriasis Research

Psoriasis is a skin inflammatory disease characterized by an increased body of comorbidities, including parodontopathy. Despite the visibility of skin lesions, prognostic biomarkers, related to disease monitoring and therapeutic effectiveness, are still missing. Although several markers have been studied, none of them has been identified as an independent prognostic factor. This concise review aims to summarize the current knowledge and results in saliva research applied to psoriasis. Combination of different markers could improve the prognostic prediction in patients with psoriasis. Future studies are needed to implement research on salivary biomarkers and their prognostic/therapeutic effects in the management of patients with psoriasis.

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.

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.

Chronic rhinosinusitis in children

Rhinosinusitis is a very common disease worldwide and specifically in the US population. It is a common disease in children but may be underdiagnosed. Several reasons may account to the disease being missed in children. The symptoms in children are limited and can be very similar to the common cold or allergic symptoms. Cough and nasal discharge may be the only symptoms present in children. A high index of suspicion is necessary to make the diagnosis of rhinosinusitis in these children. The majority of those children are treated medically. Only a few number will require surgical intervention when medical treatment fails. Complications of rhinosinusitis, even though rare, can carry a high morbidity and mortality rate.

Actual concepts in rhinosinusitis: a review of clinical presentations, inflammatory pathways, cytokine profiles, remodeling, and management

Rhinosinusitis (RS) is a heterogeneous group of diseases. It is a significant and increasing health problem that affects about 15% of the population in Western countries. It has a substantial impact on patients' health-related quality of life and daily functioning and represents a huge financial burden to society and the health care system as a result of the direct and indirect costs. In addition, RS is not well-understood, and little is known about the etiology and pathophysiology. In the past decade, many papers have been published that have changed our understanding of RS. RS is commonly classified into acute and chronic RS based on symptom duration. In acute RS, an inflammatory reaction initiated by a viral infection characterizes most uncomplicated, mild to moderate cases. Therefore, the first line of treatment for these cases are intranasal steroids and not antibiotics. In severe and complicated cases, antibiotics combined with topical steroids remain the treatment of choice. On the other hand, chronic RS is actually subdivided into two distinct entities (chronic rhinosinusitis with and without polyps), as growing evidence indicates that these entities have specific inflammatory pathways and cytokine profiles. The authors review recent data regarding the clinical presentations, cytokine profiles, tissue remodeling, and modalities of treatment for each form of RS.

Mometasone furoate nasal spray reduces symptoms and improves quality of life in Chinese patients with moderate to severe allergic rhinitis: a multicenter open-label study

CONCLUSION

Mometasone furoate nasal spray (MFNS) can reduce the symptoms and improve quality of life in Chinese patients with moderate to severe allergic rhinitis (AR).

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of MF on symptoms and quality of life in Chinese patients with moderate to severe AR.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In a multicenter and open-label study, 500 patients with moderate to severe AR were enrolled and received MFNS 200 microg once daily. We visited the patients four times (at baseline, and week 1, 2, and 4) to record symptom scores and the influence of AR on daytime activities and quality of sleep. The Mini Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (Mini-RQLQ) and the Nocturnal Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (NRQLQ) were used in this study.

RESULTS

Compared with the baseline, MFNS significantly reduced the total and individual symptom scores and nocturnal sleep and daytime activities scores at week 1, 2, and 4 according to the Mini-RQLQ and NRQLQ.

The cumulative burden of oral corticosteroid side effects and the economic implications of steroid use

Oral corticosteroids (OCS) are a key part of therapy regimens for a diverse variety of conditions. Despite their efficacy, they are associated with a wide variety of adverse events. The purpose of this review was to identify the range of adverse events that have been reported to be related to oral corticosteroids, examine the factors that influence their incidence and estimate the economic burden caused by these adverse events. In 61 identified studies, 21 different categories of OCS related adverse events were reported with increased fracture risk being the category most frequently described. Most studies that examined factors linked to the incidence of OCS related adverse events found that dose, age, gender, duration of use, treatment history, smoking habits or cholesterol level were influential in determining risk. Additionally, a cumulative economic analysis of selected adverse events found the annual cost of treating these events in the UK to be at least 165 pounds per patient taking OCS. The clinical and economic burden of OCS related adverse events highlights the need for OCS sparing therapies to be developed.

Drug management in chronic rhinosinusitis: identification of the needs

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a group of multifactorial diseases characterized by inflammation of the mucosa of the nose and paranasal sinuses with a history of at least 12 weeks of persistent symptoms despite maximal medical therapy. The precise role played by infection and immunoglobin E (IgE)-mediated hypersensitivity remains unclear. Diagnosis of CRS is based upon medical history, nasal endoscopy and computed tomography scan of the sinuses. The CRS with polyps visible in the middle meatus must be distinguished from the CRS without polyps. Based on the current knowledge about the pathogenesis of CRS, it is admitted that an optimal medical treatment must consider all favorizing factors and control efficaciously the inflammation process. In case of failure of medical treatment, endoscopic sinus surgery should be proposed. However, some well-validated data and scientific evidences are missing, even for the most frequently used medications. After a review of the actual definitions and classifications, a short description of the current knowledge about pathogenesis of CRS is provided in order to justify the actual therapeutic rationales and identify the needs for an effective treatment of CRS.

Diagnostic Value of Salivary Cortisol in Children with Abnormal Adrenal Cortex Functions

AIMS

It has been shown that the free cortisol level in saliva may reflect plasma free cortisol. The measurement of cortisol in saliva is a simple method, and as such it is important in the pediatric age group. In this research, the diagnostic value of measurement of salivary cortisol (SC) measurement was examined in adrenal insufficiency (AI).

METHODS

Fifty-one patients, mean age 10.8 +/- 4.29, who were investigated for possible AI, were included. Basal cortisol levels were below 18 microg/dl. Adrenal function was determined by low-dose ACTH test. During the test, samples for SC were obtained simultaneously with serum samples (at 0-10-20-30-40 min).

RESULTS

Mean basal serum cortisol level was 8.21 +/- 4.10 microg/dl (mean +/- SD). Basal SC was correlated to basal serum cortisol (r = 0.64, p < 0.001). A cut-off of 0.94 microg/dl for SC differentiated adrenal insufficient subjects from normals with a sensitivity and specificity of 80 and 77%, respectively. A peak SC less than 0.62 microg/dl defined AI with a specificity of 100%; however, sensitivity was 44%.

CONCLUSION

Measurement of SC may be used in the evaluation of AI. It is well-correlated to serum cortisol. Peak SC in low-dose ACTH test can be used to differentiate patients with AI in the initial evaluation of individuals with suspected AI.