[Effect of corticosteroids upon the prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the therapeutic effect of corticosteroids upon idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and the impact of corticosteroids upon survival time.


METHODS
Clinical data of 94 corticosteroid treatment and 32 non-corticosteroid treatment IPF patients during 2000 - 2004 were retrospectively analyzed and their survival rates compared between two groups. The corticosteroid treatment patients were divided into 3 groups: improved, steady and worsened group according to the pulmonary function data. Therapeutic effects and survival rates were compared between these 3 groups.


RESULTS
In the treatment group, 6 (6.4%) patients could not be located, 22 (23.4%) patients survived, and 66 (70.2%) patients died. In the non-corticosteroid treatment group, 1 (3.1%) patients could not be located, 2 (6.3%) patients survived and 29 (90.6%) patients died. No statistically significant difference existed between the two groups (P > 0.05). Sixty-two corticosteroid treatment patients were followed up for 3-6 months. Among them, 19 (30.7%) patients improved, 11 (17.7%) patients remained steady and 32 (51.6%) patients worsened in pulmonary function. In 19 improved patients, 7 (36.8%) survived and 12 (63.2%) died. In 11 steady patients, 3 (27.2%) survived and 8 (72.7%) died. In 32 worsened patients, 3 (9.4%) could not be located, 1(3.1%) survived and 28 (87.5%) died. The survival rate of the improved and steady groups was higher than that of the worsened group (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
There is some therapeutic effect of corticosteroids in the early alveolitis stage of IPF. The prognosis of the patients with improved and steady pulmonary function parameters during the first 3 - 6 months is better than that of worsened patients.
Li
Zhen-hua
ZH
Institute of Respiratory Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China. zhenhua-li@163.com
Peng
Shou-Chun
SC
Kang
Jian
J
Hou
Xian-ming
XM
Yu
Run-jiang
RJ
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054990:Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones