title: The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in asthmatic children.
abstract: Reduced responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in patients with various chronic allergic inflammatory disorders and a blunted HPA axis response of poorly controlled asthmatics before long-term treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) have been reported. It seems that pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines might be involved in the attenuation of cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) responses to stress in these patients. Although long-term ICS treatment might produce mild adrenal suppression in some asthmatic children, improvement of adrenal function has been detected in the majority of cases. We postulate that the anti-inflammatory effects of ICS result both in asthma remission and HPA axis improvement. Adrenal suppression of some asthmatic patients on maintenance ICS seems to be a separate phenomenon, possibly constitutionally or genetically determined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy-Pneumonology, Penteli Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece. kpriftis@otenet.gr
authors.forename: Kostas N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Priftis
authors.forename: Anastasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papadimitriou
authors.forename: Polyxeni
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nicolaidou
authors.forename: George P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Chrousos
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents