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Quinolone arthropathy in animals versus children
J E Burkhardt1, J N Walterspiel, U B Schaad
1Pfizer, Inc., Groton, Connecticut 06340, USA.
Summary
Concerns about quinolone chondrotoxicity in children are not supported by current data. Further studies are warranted due to a lack of correlation with animal findings and the drugs
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pharmacology
- Drug Safety
- Antimicrobial Agents
Background:
- Quinolone use in pediatric populations is limited by safety concerns, particularly chondrotoxicity.
- Accumulated data on pediatric pharmacodynamics and safety are scarce.
- Existing animal data on chondrotoxicity do not reliably predict effects in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the safety and necessity of quinolone use in children.
- To address the limitations in understanding quinolone chondrotoxicity in pediatric patients.
- To determine if further clinical studies in children are justified.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive review of animal study findings.
- Analysis of cumulative published data from over 7,000 children and adolescents.
- Comparison of animal toxicology data with human clinical outcomes.
Main Results:
- The review indicates that concerns regarding quinolone-induced chondrotoxicity in children are not justified based on current evidence.
- A significant lack of correlation exists between findings in juvenile animals and observed effects in humans.
- Over 7,000 pediatric cases have been documented with no significant chondrotoxic effects reported.
Conclusions:
- The perceived risk of chondrotoxicity from quinolones in children is not supported by cumulative clinical data.
- Prospective controlled studies in children are recommended due to the dissociation between animal and human data.
- Further research is justified by the therapeutic benefits of existing and emerging quinolone antibiotics in pediatric populations.