Corticosteroid and immunomodulatory agents in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive pulmonary disease leading to death within a few years of diagnosis despite medical therapy. On the basis of methodologies of the Cochrane collaboration, this overview discusses the evidence for IPF therapy. Good-quality studies on oral corticosteroids, the most common medical therapy in use for IPF, are lacking. A few small studies have been carried out on the efficacy of many non-steroid immunosuppressive agents, and the results have been generally disappointing. The most extensively studied medical therapy, gamma interferon, showed a significant effect in a small randomized study, but its efficacy was not confirmed in a larger randomized-controlled trial. The long-awaited good news for patients affected by this deadly disease, and for their physicians, could come in the near future from large randomized-controlled trials with gamma interferon or other immunomodulatory agents.
Luppi
F
F
Section of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Oncology and Haematology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Cerri
S
S
Beghè
B
B
Fabbri
L M
LM
Richeldi
L
L
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents