Short-term oral corticosteroids for initial treatment of moderate-to-severe persistent asthma: A double-blind,...

The purpose of this study was to investigate that on the basis of ICS-LABA treatment, whether or not adding on short course of oral corticosteroid could increase the rate of asthma control.

This was a double blind, randomized controlled study. Patients with moderate to severe persistent asthma who are maintenance treatment naïve were recruited from the out-patients clinic. All patients included in the study received ICS-LABA as initial treatment. Two weeks oral corticosteroid or placebo were added on at the beginning of treatment. All the subjects were followed-up by daily measurement of PEF and asthma diary for 12 week and spirometry at 4 weeks and 12 weeks.

13 cases were randomized to Corticosteroid group (M/F: 9/4, age: 45.0 ± 5.0 yrs), 11 to Placebo group (M/F: 4/7, age: 35.7 ± 9.6yrs). After treatment, significant improvement in ACT、ACQ、AQLQ、FEV1、FEV1% were observed in both groups as compared with baseline data (all P < 0.05). However, there were no significant difference between two groups in the improvement of ACT、ACQ、AQLQ、FEV1、FEV1% (all P > 0.05). After 4 weeks of treatment, total control was achieved in 3 (30.8%) in corticosteroid group and 2 (18.2%) in placebo group; Partial control was achieved in 7 (61.5%)in corticosteroid group and in 7 (63.6%) in placebo group. There was no significant difference in control rates between two groups (X² = 0.919, P = 0.632). Similar findings were observed after 12 weeks of treatment.

In maintenance treatment naïve moderate to severe persistent asthma, ICS-LABA therapy was adequate initial treatment for achieving asthma control in majority of the patients. Add on short course of oral corticosteroid provided no significant clinical benefit.