Project description:BACKGROUND:Bacterial keratitis is a serious ocular infectious disease that can lead to severe visual disability. Risk factors for bacterial corneal infection include contact lens wear, ocular surface disease, corneal trauma and previous ocular or eyelid surgery. Topical antibiotics constitute the mainstay of treatment in cases of bacterial keratitis where as the use of topical corticosteroids remains controversial. Topical corticosteroids are usually used to control inflammation using the smallest amount of the drug. Their use requires optimal timing, concomitant antibiotics and careful follow up. OBJECTIVES:The objective of the review was to assess the clinical effectiveness and adverse effects of corticosteroids as adjunctive therapy for bacterial keratitis. SEARCH STRATEGY:We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and LILACS up to 15 January 2007. We also searched the Science Citation Index to identify additional studies that had cited the included trial, an online database of ongoing trials (www.clinicaltrials.gov), reference lists of included trials, earlier reviews and the American Academy of Ophthalmology guidelines. We also contacted experts to identify any unpublished and ongoing randomized trials. SELECTION CRITERIA:We included randomized controlled trials evaluating adjunctive therapy with topical corticosteroids in people with bacterial keratitis. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS:Two review authors independently screened all the retrieved articles. Methodological quality of the one included trial was assessed using forms developed using pre-specified criteria by at least two review authors. We planned to extract data on outcomes using forms developed for the purpose. We planned to report risk ratios for dichotomous outcomes and mean differences for continuous outcomes. MAIN RESULTS:A single trial was eligible for inclusion in the review. Participants in the trial were randomized using a random numbers table. Allocation concealment was not attempted. Masking of participants, and care-providers was also not attempted. Outcome assessment was conducted independently by two physicians. Neither was masked to the treatment allocation. The trial reported the healing rate of epithelial defects and improvement in visual acuity. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS:There are no good quality randomized trials evaluating the effects of adjunct use of topical corticosteroids in bacterial keratitis. The only randomized trial we identified in the literature suffered from major methodological inadequacies.
Project description:Improving the outcome of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is an ongoing challenge, even in the setting of significant advances in antimicrobial chemotherapy and critical care. Recognition of the underlying involvement of inflammation-mediated organ dysfunction as a determinant of adverse outcomes in CAP has aroused intense interest in the protective potential of adjunctive anti-inflammatory therapies in CAP, particularly the role of corticosteroids (CS). This is the primary topic of the current review which is focused on an evaluation of the latest meta-analyses encompassing both recent and earlier clinical trials, with particular emphasis on the stringent meta-analysis undertaken by Siemieniuk and colleagues (Ann Intern Med 2015;163:519-528). The review highlights the findings and recommendations of these and related published commentaries/critiques, while providing a brief description of those sub-groups of patients who seemingly stand to benefit most from CS therapy. This is preceded by an overview of the mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory activities of CS, the interactions of these agents with macrolide antibiotics, and the potential benefits and risks of short-term administration of CS, concluding with a succinct appraisal of priority issues for ongoing and future research.
Project description:PurposeTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of adjunctive corticosteroids in the treatment of patients with tuberculous pleurisy.MethodsThe PubMed, Cochrane, Medline, Embase, Web of Science and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched. Clinical trials of corticosteroids compared with control were eligible for inclusion.ResultsTen studies (6 randomized controlled trials [RCTs] and 4 non-RCTs) with 957 participants met the inclusion criteria. Compared to the controls (placebos or non-steroids), adjunctive corticosteroid use reduced the risk of residual pleural fluid after 4 weeks and the number of days to symptom improvement; however, there was no convincing evidence to support the positive effects of corticosteroids over the long term (8 weeks) on residual pleural fluid, pleural thickening, or pleural adhesions, and there was no statistical difference between the corticosteroid group and control group with respect to 7-days relief of the clinical symptoms or death from any cause. In addition, more adverse events were observed in patients who received corticosteroids than in those in the control group.ConclusionsOur results suggest that adjunctive corticosteroid use did not improve long-term efficacy and might induce more adverse events, although the risk of residual pleural fluid at 4 weeks and the number of days to symptom improvement were reduced.
Project description:BackgroundThe repurposing of existing agents may accelerate TB drug development. Recently, we reported that the lipid-lowering drug simvastatin, when added to the first-line antitubercular regimen, reduces the lung bacillary burden in chronically infected mice.ObjectivesWe investigated whether the addition of simvastatin to the first-line regimen (isoniazid/rifampicin/pyrazinamide) shortens the duration of curative TB treatment in mice.MethodsMycobacterium tuberculosis-infected THP-1 cells were exposed to simvastatin to determine the effect of statins on the activity of first-line anti-TB drug activity and intracellular rifampicin concentration. Single-dose and steady-state pharmacokinetic studies guided optimized simvastatin dosing in vivo. BALB/c mice were aerosol-infected with M. tuberculosis H37Rv and drug treatment was initiated 6 weeks post-infection. Separate groups of mice received standard TB treatment with or without simvastatin. Relapse rates were assessed 3 months after discontinuation of each treatment regimen. MALDI-MS imaging was used to image the cholesterol content of mouse lung lesions.ResultsSimvastatin significantly enhanced the bactericidal activity of first-line drugs against intracellular M. tuberculosis without altering intracellular rifampicin concentrations. Adjunctive treatment with 60 mg/kg simvastatin shortened the time required to achieve culture-negative lungs from 4.5 to 3.5 months. Following 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 months of treatment, relapse rates were 100%, 50% and 0%, respectively, in the control group and 50% (P?=?0.03), 20% and 0%, respectively, in the statin group. Simvastatin did not alter plasma or lung lesion cholesterol levels.ConclusionsStatins are attractive candidates for host-directed, adjunctive TB therapy. Further preclinical studies are needed to define the optimal statin and dosing.
Project description:Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common type of malignant intracranial tumor in adults. Tumor tissue hypoxia, high mitotic rate, and rapid tumor spread account for its poor prognosis. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may improve the sensitivity of radio-chemotherapy by increasing oxygen tension within the hypoxic regions of the neoplastic tissue. This review summarizes the research of HBOT applications within the context of experimental and clinical GBM. Limited clinical trials and preclinical studies suggest that radiotherapy immediately after HBOT enhances the effects of radiotherapy in some aspects. HBOT also is able to strengthen the anti-tumor effect of chemotherapy when applied together. Overall, HBOT is well tolerated in the GBM patients and does not significantly increase toxicity. However, HBOT applied by itself as curative strategy against GBM is controversial in preclinical studies and has not been evaluated rigorously in GBM patients. In addition to HBOT favorably managing the therapeutic resistance of GBM, future research needs to focus on the multimodal or cocktail approaches to treatment, as well as molecular strategies targeting GBM stem cells.
Project description:BackgroundAdjunctive corticosteroids therapy is an attractive option for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) treatment. However, the effectiveness of adjunctive corticosteroids on mortality of CAP remains inconsistent, especially in severe CAP. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adjunctive corticosteroids in severe CAP patients.MethodsThree databases of PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library were searched for related studies published in English up to December, 2015. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of corticosteroids in hospitalized adults with severe CAP were included. Meta-analysis was performed by a random-effect model with STATA 11.0 software. We estimated the summary risk ratios (RRs) or effect size (ES) with its corresponding 95% confidence interval (95%CI) to assess the outcomes.ResultsWe included 8 RCTs enrolling 528 severe CAP patients. Adjunctive corticosteroids significantly reduced all-cause mortality (RR = 0.46, 95%CI: 0.28 to 0.77, p = 0.003), risk of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (RR = 0.23, 95%CI: 0.07 to 0.80, p = 0.02) and need for mechanical ventilation (RR = 0.50, 95%CI: 0.27 to 0.92, p = 0.026). Adjunctive corticosteroids did not increase frequency of hyperglycemia requiring treatment (RR = 1.03, 95%CI: 0.61 to 1.72, p = 0.91) or gastrointestinal hemorrhage (RR = 0.66, 95%CI: 0.19 to 2.31, p = 0.52). In subgroup analysis by duration of corticosteroids, we found that prolonged corticosteroids therapy significantly reduced all-cause mortality (RR = 0.41, 95%CI: 0.20 to 0.83, p = 0.01) and length of hospital stay (-4.76 days, 95% CI:-8.13 to -1.40, p = 0.006).ConclusionsResults from this meta-analysis suggested that adjunctive corticosteroids therapy was safe and beneficial for severe CAP. In addition, prolonged corticosteroids therapy was more effective. These results should be confirmed by adequately powered studies in the future.
Project description:Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is known to subvert immune responses to establish infection and cause disease. Thus, host-directed therapy (HDT), as adjunctive treatment to traditional antitubercular regimens, is an attractive strategy. Statins are a class of drugs used to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, a crucial enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. Here, we conducted a preclinical animal study aimed at comparing the bactericidal activities of the standard TB regimen (rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol; RHZE) with or without escalating doses of pravastatin against chronic TB in BALB/c mice. Antibiotics were given five times weekly for 8 weeks (continuous phase) beginning 6 weeks after infection. Treatment with RHZE plus pravastatin at doses ranging from 30 mg/kg to 180 mg/kg demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in bactericidal activity, reducing lung bacillary counts by 0.2–0.6 log10, 0.3–0.6 log10 and 0.3–0.8 log10 compared to RHZE alone at weeks 2, 4 and 8, respectively. After 8 weeks of treatment, the degree of lung inflammation correlated with the bactericidal activity of each drug regimen. In order to gain insight into the anti-TB mechanism of action of pravastatin in vivo, the lungs of mice treated with pravastatin adjunctive therapy and those treated with RHZE alone were analyzed by whole-genome microarrays and RT-PCR. Mouse sera were studied by multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Treatment with pravastatin for 1 month had a profound effect on the global transcription in mouse lungs.
Project description:There is a large interindividual variability in response to ICSs in asthma. About 70% of the variance in ICS response is likely due at least partially to genetically determined characteristics of target genes. In this article, we examine the effects on the ICS response of gene variations in the corticosteroid pathway, and in the pharmacokinetics of corticosteroids, and also those outside the corticosteroid pathway, which have the potential to influence corticosteroid activity. Although the available evidence indicates that responses to ICSs in asthma are influenced by different genetic variants, there are still deep uncertainties as to whether a real association between these genetic variants and corticosteroid response could also possibly exist because there are difficulties in reproducing pharmacogenetic findings. This explains at least partly the insufficient use of pharmacogenomic data when treating asthmatic patients, which creates a real limitation to the proper use of ICSs in an era of precision medicine that links the right patient to the right treatment. Knowing and dealing with the genetic factors that influence the therapeutic ICS response is a fundamental condition for prescribing the right dose of ICS to the right patient at the right time.
Project description:Previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses evaluated the efficacy and safety of adjunctive corticosteroids for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). However, the results from them had large discrepancies. The eligibility criteria for the current meta-analysis were original RCTs written in English as a full article that evaluated adjunctive systemic corticosteroids adding on antibiotic therapy targeting typical and/or atypical pathogen for treating hospitalized human CAP cases. Four investigators independently searched for eligible articles through PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases. Random model was used. The heterogeneity among original studies and subgroups was evaluated with the I(2) statistics. Of 54 articles that met the preliminary criteria, we found 10 eligible RCTs comprising 1780 cases. Our analyses revealed following pooled values by corticosteroids. OR for all-cause death: 0.80 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.53-1.21) from all studies; 0.41 (95% CI 0.19-0.90) from severe-case subgroup; 0.21 (95% CI 0.0-0.74) from intensive care unit (ICU) subgroup. Length of ICU stay: -1.30 days (95% CI (-3.04)-0.44). Length of hospital stay: -0.98 days (95% CI (-1.26)-(-0.71)). Length to clinical stability: -1.16 days (95% CI (-1.73)-(-0.58)). Serious complications do not seem to largely increase by steroids. In conclusion, adjunctive systemic corticosteroids for hospitalized patients with CAP seems preferred strategies.