Effects of tixocortol pivalate on gastrointestinal disease in systemic mastocytosis: a preliminary study

Tixocortol pivalate is a steroid reportedly without significant adrenal-pituitary axis suppression when administered via the gastrointestinal tract. To determine whether this steroid would suppress the gastrointestinal manifestations of systemic mastocytosis, we performed an open clinical trial for safety and efficacy with tixocortal pivalate in four patients for periods of 8-15 weeks. All patients showed a decrease in the symptoms of abdominal pain and frequency of stools. Laboratory parameters of malabsorption improved in parallel with symptom relief. Histopathologic abnormalities of the small bowel improved in one patient. There was no significant suppression of the pituitary-adrenal axis. Two patients developed fluid retention while on tixocortol pivalate, which was attributed to a mineralocorticoid effect. One patient had a fall in AM cortisol. In summary, this study strongly suggests that tixocortol pivalate, when administered orally, has gastrointestinal anti-inflammatory activity comparable to conventional steroids, but may not be entirely without adrenal-suppressive effect and may lead to fluid retention in some patients. Further studies are warranted to assess the value of tixocortol pivalate in the therapy of inflammatory diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract.