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The effect of large-dose prednisolone on patients with obstructive lung disease associated with consuming sauropus
1Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, ROC.
Background:
In 1995, the consumption of the vegetable Sauropus androgynus in order to reduce weight led to an outbreak of patients with obstructive ventilatory impairment. The pathologic findings showed bronchiolitis obliterans with or without organized pneumonia. Steroid therapy was used in an attempt to reverse the pulmonary dysfunction even though the pathogenesis was unknown.
Methods:
In this retrospective study, we reviewed the response of seven non-smoking female patients who were consuming Sauropus androgynus to large-dose prednisolone therapy (prednisolone > 0.5 mg/kg/day, > 30 days). Conventional pulmonary function testing (PFT) was used to assess patient lung function.
Results:
All patients had greatly reduced forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) before and after steroid treatment. There was no significant change in the parameters of PFT, such as FEV1, forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC, and carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (DLco) after prednisolone therapy.
Conclusions:
Large-dose steroid therapy was unable to relieve the obstructive ventilatory impairment present in patients after consuming Sauropus androgynus.