Old and new therapeutic developments in steroid treatment in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Steroids have been used since two decades and several trials were conducted to establish their efficacy in DMD patients with various regimens. The clinical outcomes showed increased function in the treated boys, and in a single trial with deflazacort, prolongation of ambulation but with different side effects. Steroids clinical efficacy is now established. The main concern is to increase steroid efficacy and decrease side effect and toxicity. A trial comparing daily prednisone, deflazacort and intermittent glucocorticoids (prednisone 10 days on/10 days off) (FOR-DMD) is starting under NIH grant. The primary outcomes will be muscle strength, forced vital capacity and patient/parents satisfaction.
IRCCS "San Camillo", Venice, Italy. corrado.angelini@unipd.it
Corrado
C
Angelini
Enrico
E
Peterle
D005080:Exercise Test; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053580:Muscle Strength; D020388:Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011241:Prednisone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011282:Pregnenediones / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D011282:Pregnenediones; C021988:deflazacort; D011241:Prednisone