title: Pharmacological strategies in the idiopatic pulmonary fibrosis of children.
abstract: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by radiographically evident interstitial infiltrates and progressive dyspnea with rapid decline of overall lung functions. The clinical course of this disease is highly variable; however, its prognosis remains poor without adequate and prompt therapeutical support. Due to the fact that barely a quarter of patients responds to steroids alone, cytostatics are often prescribed simultaneously with low dose corticosteroids in the pediatric age too. Cytokine or anti-cytokine therapy and the role of new antifibrotic drugs are still at the experimental stage of definition and will be discussed in the following review.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Sciences, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. iclpe@rm.unicatt.it
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rigante
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stabile
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones