title: Steroids in the hemolytic uremic syndrome.
abstract: To determine whether steroids could be of clinical benefit in the treatment of the hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), we conducted a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of methylprednisone (5 mg/kg per day in four oral doses over 7 days), in children with HUS during the acute phase. Ninety-two patients with typical HUS (47 receiving placebo and 45 receiving steroids) were investigated for neurological, hematological, and nephrological variables. There were no differences between groups in the number of convulsive episodes or transfusion requirements during the hospital stay. Serum creatinine levels were slightly increased on day 10 in the placebo group compared with the steroid group (P = 0.06) and declined significantly between days 1 and 10 only in the steroid group (P = 0.001). In the 51 patients with anuria (24 placebo, 27 steroids), median serum creatinine levels were reduced in the steroid group compared with the placebo group on the 10th day (P = 0.01). Differences in median days of oliguria [11.5 versus 8 (P = 0.28)], anuria [5 versus 7 (P = 0.20)], and dialysis [12 versus 10 (P = 0.26)] for the placebo and the steroid group respectively were not significant. Our data suggest that oral steroids are not able to modify hematological, neurological, or nephrological clinical parameters during the acute phase of childhood HUS, even though they do seem to be associated with a more rapid decline in serum creatinine levels.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Unit, Hospital de Niños Sor. Maria Ludovica, La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Spizzirri
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suarez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Larrubia
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lasarte
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D008297:Male; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin