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Effect of a 14-day course of systemic corticosteroids on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Schuetz, P. and Christ-Crain, M. and Schild, U. and Süess, E. and Facompre, M. and Baty, F. and Nusbaumer, C. and Brutsche, M. and Müller, B.. (2008) Effect of a 14-day course of systemic corticosteroids on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. BMC pulmonary medicine, 8. p. 1.

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Official URL: http://edoc.unibas.ch/dok/A6007192

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: As supra-physiological intake of corticosteroids is a well known risk factor for the development of adrenal insufficiency, we investigated the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during a 14-day course of systemic corticosteroids in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using clinical and laboratory measures. METHODS: A systematic clinical and laboratory assessment including measurement of basal cortisol levels and the response to low dose (1 mug) ACTH stimulation was performed in nine patients before, on the first and the last day of treatment, as well as 2, 7 and 21 days after corticosteroid withdrawal. RESULTS: At baseline, all nine patients had normal responses to 1 mug ACTH. On the first day of steroid treatment, 78% had a blunted peak cortisol response. This percentage increased to 89% after 14 days of steroid treatment. 78%, 33% and 33% of the patients had a blunted cortisol response to ACTH 2, 7, and 21 days after corticosteroid withdrawal, respectively. ROC curve analysis revealed that only basal cortisol concentrations (AUC 0.89), but not ACTH concentrations (AUC 0.49) or clinical signs (AUC 0.47) were predictive of an impaired function of the HPA axis. Basal cortisol levels of < 400 and > 150 nmol/l were 96% and 100% sensitive for a normal or pathological response to the ACTH stimulation test, respectively. CONCLUSION: Immediate and prolonged suppression of the HPA axis is a common finding in otherwise asymptomatic patients undergoing systemic steroid treatment for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and can reliably be assessed with the low-dose ACTH test.
Faculties and Departments:03 Faculty of Medicine > Bereich Medizinische Fächer (Klinik) > Allgemeine innere Medizin AG > Argovia Professur für Medizin (Müller)
03 Faculty of Medicine > Departement Klinische Forschung > Bereich Medizinische Fächer (Klinik) > Allgemeine innere Medizin AG > Argovia Professur für Medizin (Müller)
03 Faculty of Medicine > Bereich Medizinische Fächer (Klinik) > Endokrinologie / Diabetologie > Endokrinologie (Christ-Crain)
03 Faculty of Medicine > Departement Klinische Forschung > Bereich Medizinische Fächer (Klinik) > Endokrinologie / Diabetologie > Endokrinologie (Christ-Crain)
03 Faculty of Medicine > Bereich Medizinische Fächer (Klinik) > Pneumologie > Pneumologie (Tamm)
03 Faculty of Medicine > Departement Klinische Forschung > Bereich Medizinische Fächer (Klinik) > Pneumologie > Pneumologie (Tamm)
UniBasel Contributors:Müller, Beat and Brutsche, Martin and Christ-Crain, Mirjam
Item Type:Article, refereed
Article Subtype:Research Article
Publisher:BioMed Central
ISSN:1471-2466
Note:Publication type according to Uni Basel Research Database: Journal article
Identification Number:
Last Modified:28 Nov 2017 10:38
Deposited On:08 Nov 2012 16:09

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