During a multicenter US trial representing the first randomized & placebo-controlled evaluation of the addition of pulsed steroids to the standard regimen to treat Kawasaki disease (KD), it was found by the authors that there is no benefit in terms of improvements of coronary artery results by going for primary therapy with a pulse of methylprednisolone among children with Kawasaki’s disease.

It was, however, noted during the study that subjects in the group of steroids experienced reduced sedimentation rates and were discharged early from hospitals besides having lower C-reactive protein levels when compared to usual care subjects.

From Medscape.com:

The authors also reviewed the results of post hoc analyses comparing the outcomes of subjects who required re-treatment with IVIG. In that group, those subjects who had received steroids initially then required re-treatment with IVIG had better coronary artery outcomes compared to the group who had received placebo and required re-treatment. While this was an interesting finding, it suggests the need to evaluate whether a subgroup of likely ‘nonresponders‘ could be identified at enrollment to consider adding steroids to their treatment. It was not a primary outcome in this study, and so one should not view the findings of this trial in regard to children who required re-treatment as definitive (the authors do not do so). As the authors pointed out, this trial has many strengths that preceding trials did not — especially blind interpretation of the echocardiograms. So, while this trial does not completely preclude the use of steroids in KD (for example, those who do not respond to initial IVIG), it makes a very strong case that it is not beneficial to add pulse steroids to the primary treatment regimen in all cases of KD.

The primary interest outcome was the z score of coronary artery diameter at five weeks post-treatment after use of larger of the values for the left anterior descending or the right coronary artery.

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A new study has suggested that steroids could prove to be an effective option for treating vestibular neuritis that leads to dizziness due to a viral infection of the vestibular nerve.

The study was aimed to examine if a steroid drug, antiviral agent, or a combination of the two can improve the outcome of patients with vestibular neuritis.

From Bio-Medicine.Org:

Researchers conducted a study to see if a steroid drug, antiviral agent, or a combination of the two could improve the outcome of patients with vestibular neuritis. For the study, 141 patients who were diagnosed with vestibular neuritis were randomly assigned to one of the treatment groups. The treatment groups included the corticosteroid group (that received methylprednisolone, also known as Medrol), the antiviral agent group (that received valacyclovir, also known as Valtrex), a group that received both, and a group that received placebo. Researchers followed up with patients three days after treatment and again 12 months after treatment.

Researchers found that 62 percent of the patients on the steroid improved compared to 39 percent in the placebo group, 36 percent in the antiviral group and 59 percent in the combination group. Researchers say the antiviral drug clearly did not improve the outcome in patients with vestibular neuritis despite the assumed viral cause. In fact, the steroid-alone group had better outcomes than the steroid-antiviral combination group.

The researchers said that methylprednisolone alone considerably improve recovery of patients with vestibular neuritis.

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Disease activity related with multiple sclerosis (MS) is reduced to a considerable extent when a combination of steroid drugs and MS drug is administered to patients, as per a study presented as a part of the Late-breaking Science Program at the American Academy of Neurology’s 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle.

From Sciencedaily.com:

For the study, people with MS received the steroid drug methylprednisolone in monthly “pulses,” or three doses over three days, in addition to regular weekly treatment with the drug interferon beta-1a. The steroid drug has typically been used only to treat acute MS attacks, not as an ongoing treatment.

The study involved 341 people with relapsing-remitting MS. Half of the participants received both drugs; half received only the interferon drug plus a placebo. The participants were seen every three months during the three-year study for evaluation.

The participants had the disease for an average of three years and had not yet received a disease-modifying drug such as interferon.

Those who received both drugs had 38 percent fewer relapses, or times when the disease is active, than those receiving only the interferon drug. They also improved slightly on a test of MS disability, while the scores for the placebo group decreased slightly.

Study author Mads Ravnborg, MD, of the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Research Center at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, said that the study noted that both the drugs seem to have a synergy when taken together for providing improved beneficial effect on the disease activity as against use of the MS drug in isolation.

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The use of a steroid drug, methylprednisolone, in addition to a multiple sclerosis (MS) drug can prove to be a more effective combination for reducing the volume of disease activity than the use of MS drug alone.

This finding was presented as part of the Late-breaking Science Program at the American Academy of Neurology’s 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle, April 25 – May 2, 2009.

From Sciencedaily.com:

The study involved 341 people with relapsing-remitting MS. Half of the participants received both drugs; half received only the interferon drug plus a placebo. The participants were seen every three months during the three-year study for evaluation.

The participants had the disease for an average of three years and had not yet received a disease-modifying drug such as interferon.

Those who received both drugs had 38 percent fewer relapses, or times when the disease is active, than those receiving only the interferon drug. They also improved slightly on a test of MS disability, while the scores for the placebo group decreased slightly.

At the beginning of the study and again after three years, the researchers measured the size of lesions in the brain that are a sign of disease activity. For those receiving both drugs, the lesions stayed the same size or shrunk, while the size of the lesions grew for those taking only interferon.

Study author Mads Ravnborg, MD, of the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Research Center at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, remarked that the results suggest that both drugs seem to have a synergy when taken as a combination and offer a more beneficial effect on the disease activity.

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The addition of a steroid drug, methylprednisolone, to the multiple sclerosis (MS) drug can significantly reduce the amount of disease activity more than what could have been experienced with the use of MS drug in isolation, as per a presented study as part of the Late-breaking Science Program at the American Academy of Neurology’s 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle.

From Sciencedaily.com:

For the study, people with MS received the steroid drug methylprednisolone in monthly “pulses,” or three doses over three days, in addition to regular weekly treatment with the drug interferon beta-1a. The steroid drug has typically been used only to treat acute MS attacks, not as an ongoing treatment.

The study involved 341 people with relapsing-remitting MS. Half of the participants received both drugs; half received only the interferon drug plus a placebo. The participants were seen every three months during the three-year study for evaluation.

The participants had the disease for an average of three years and had not yet received a disease-modifying drug such as interferon.

Those who received both drugs had 38 percent fewer relapses, or times when the disease is active, than those receiving only the interferon drug. They also improved slightly on a test of MS disability, while the scores for the placebo group decreased slightly.

The study results clearly suggest that the two drugs, steroid and MS, can bring synergy when taken as a combination and provide a greater beneficial effect on the disease activity than MS drug alone, according to study author Mads Ravnborg, MD, of the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Research Center at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark.

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When steroid drugs are added to multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment, the risk of disease activity gets reduced to a considerable extent as per a study presented as a part of the Late-breaking Science Program at the American Academy of Neurology’s 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle.

From Sciencedaily.com:

For the study, people with MS received the steroid drug methylprednisolone in monthly “pulses,” or three doses over three days, in addition to regular weekly treatment with the drug interferon beta-1a. The steroid drug has typically been used only to treat acute MS attacks, not as an ongoing treatment.

The study involved 341 people with relapsing-remitting MS. Half of the participants received both drugs; half received only the interferon drug plus a placebo. The participants were seen every three months during the three-year study for evaluation.

The participants had the disease for an average of three years and had not yet received a disease-modifying drug such as interferon.

Those who received both drugs had 38 percent fewer relapses, or times when the disease is active, than those receiving only the interferon drug. They also improved slightly on a test of MS disability, while the scores for the placebo group decreased slightly.

It was remarked by study author Mads Ravnborg, MD, of the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Research Center at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, that results of this study highlight the fact that the two drugs tend to bring synergy in a combination and provide an improved beneficial effect on the disease activity as against use of the MS drug in isolation.

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The Danish Multiple Sclerosis Research Center at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark conducted a study of adding methylprednisolone in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

The study involved patients with relapsing-remitting MS and who had the disease for an average of three years. The treatment group received both interferon and methylprednisolone, while the control group received the interferon drug and a placebo. The study lasted for three years and the participants were only seen every three months.

The researchers measured the size of the brain lesions at the initial phase and again after a period of three years. They found that those in the treatment group, their lesions either stayed the same size or it shrunk while the lesions grew in size for those in the control group. The sign of disease activity is measured primarily by the size of the lesion in the brain.

Furthermore, those who received both drugs have fewer incidences of relapses while those receiving interferon only have a 38% higher rate of relapse. In terms of MS disability tests, the treatment group improved slightly higher than the control or placebo group.

These results might be an indication that there is a synergy between the two drugs which can provide more benefits than interferon alone.

According to Science Daily:

“These results indicate that these two drugs may have a synergy when taken together and provide a more beneficial effect on the disease activity,” said study author Mads Ravnborg, MD, of the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Research Center at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark. “This is a promising finding, as the benefit from interferon is only moderate and not everyone responds fully to the treatment, so anything we can do to boost those results is positive.”

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As per a recent study, steroid treatment is an effective form of treatment for patients suffering from sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). It initially occurs in one ear and generally causes a 30+ decibel (dB) hearing loss at three consecutive frequencies within a time period of three days.

Scientists from Spain presented a new study which evaluated the effect of intratympanic steroid injections in patients with SSNHL. Studies was conducted on 50 patients diagnosed with unilateral (affecting one ear) SSNHL due to unidentified reasons. Hearing improvement of 15 dB or more in PTA was noted in 32 cases (64 percent) by the intravenous treatment.

There were no statistical differences in age, sex ratio, time of onset to therapy, presence of vertigo and tinnitus, initial hearing level, and final hearing level after intravenous treatment between the two groups.

From medical news today:

As a result of its anti-inflammatory effect, high-dosage systemic steroid therapy is currently the mainstay of the treatment for SSNHL. Despite oral or intravenous steroid therapy for two weeks, approximately 30-50 percent of patients show no response. Animal studies have found that intratympanic steroid injections, introducing steroids through the tympanic membrane, results in reduced systemic steroid toxicity and higher perilymph steroid level selectively. Past research has focused on use of these injections as a secondary-line therapy in SSNHL refractory cases. Other clinicians promote its use as first-line therapy in all SSNHL cases. Nevertheless, few controlled studies have been published comparing the results between intratympanic steroid treatment and other approaches.

The intratympanic methylprednisolone significantly improved the outcome of SSNHL by non-randomized clinical trial showed after intravenous steroid treatment. The therapy including intratympanic steroids was termed as a useful and safe therapy for SSNHL cases that are refractory to standard treatments.

Randomized prospective clinical trials were defined as the researchers suggested that the number of injections, the types of steroids, and the most adequate doses must be definite in their nature. Evidence-based treatment for idiopathic SSNHL was also established by this study. Evaluated results compared initial therapy for SSNHL and steroids that were administrated systemically or by intratympanic injections were mush effective.

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A steroid medication called methylprednisolone helps the recovery of vestibular neuritis patients. This was the finding in a study that included 141 patients who have vestibular neuritis. The patients were divided into several groups. One group was given methylprednisolone, another group was administered with antiviral agent, and the other group was given placebo.

Three days after the treatment, the researchers made a follow up with the patients, and another follow-up 12 months after the treatment.

From Bio-Medicine:

Vestibular neuritis causes dizziness due to a viral infection of the vestibular nerve. A person who has dizziness, imbalance and nausea could be diagnosed with vestibular neuritis.

Researchers conducted a study to see if a steroid drug, antiviral agent, or a combination of the two could improve the outcome of patients with vestibular neuritis. For the study, 141 patients who were diagnosed with vestibular neuritis were randomly assigned to one of the treatment groups. The treatment groups included the corticosteroid group (that received methylprednisolone, also known as Medrol), the antiviral agent group (that received valacyclovir, also known as Valtrex), a group that received both, and a group that received placebo. Researchers followed up with patients three days after treatment and again 12 months after treatment.

Researchers found that 62 percent of the patients on the steroid improved compared to 39 percent in the placebo group, 36 percent in the antiviral group and 59 percent in the combination group. Researchers say the antiviral drug clearly did not improve the outcome in patients with vestibular neuritis despite the assumed viral cause. In fact, the steroid-alone group had better outcomes than the steroid-antiviral combination group.

Researchers found out that 62% of the patients on the steroid improved compared to 39% in the placebo group, 36% in the antiviral group and 59 percent in the combination group. This shows that corticosteroids particularly methylprednisolone, significantly improved the recovery of vestibular neuritis patients.

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As per a recently concluded study, a combination of steroids and multiple sclerosis (MS) drugs to treat MS can minimize the amount of disease activity more than a MS drug alone. This study was a part of the Late-breaking Science Program at the American Academy of Neurology’s 61st Annual Meeting that was conducted in Seattle, Washington from April 25 – May 2, 2009.

Multiple Sclerosis, also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata, is an autoimmune condition in which the human body’s immune system poses an attack to the central nervous system. Such an attack leads to demyelination (damage of myelin sheath of neurons). Impairments of movement, cognition, and sensation are some of the possible ailments after a demyelinating disease.

From ScienceDaily:

At the beginning of the study and again after three years, the researchers measured the size of lesions in the brain that are a sign of disease activity. For those receiving both drugs, the lesions stayed the same size or shrunk, while the size of the lesions grew for those taking only interferon.

“These results indicate that these two drugs may have a synergy when taken together and provide a more beneficial effect on the disease activity,” said study author Mads Ravnborg, MD, of the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Research Center at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark. “This is a promising finding, as the benefit from interferon is only moderate and not everyone responds fully to the treatment, so anything we can do to boost those results is positive.”

The study was supported by Biogen Idec.

This means that the steroid drug methylprednisolone can now be used as an ongoing treatment along with being used to treat acute MS attacks. The above statements also suggest that a combination of steroids and multiple sclerosis (MS) drugs to treat MS offers a more beneficial effect on the disease activity than what can be offered by a MS drug alone.

These findings are expected to offer a sigh of relief to all those patients who were fighting a lone battle against Multiple Sclerosis.

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