Abstract

In nine children with steroid-dependent asthma, ranging in age from 2 and 11/12 to 14 and 4/12 years, troleandomycin (TAO) was administered at a dose of 250 mg po QD or BID, along with oral methylprednisolone. Both medications were then rapidly changed to a QOD schedule. Baseline daily steroid dosage requirements decreased from 15.3 +/- 9.1 mg methylprednisolone to 1.4 +/- 0.7 mg (P less than 0.01, paired t-test), and the number of steroid bursts (1-2 mg/kg/day) per year decreased from 12.2 +/- 4.8 to 4.1 +/- 2.0 (P less than 0.01, paired t-test). There was also a significant decrease in the number of hospitalizations per year from 3.4 +/- 4.6 to 0.6 +/- 0.7 (P less than 0.05, paired t-test). The incidence of steroid side effects increased, despite the decrease in the amount of steroid required. Specifically, the prevalence of cataracts increased from 11% to 33% (chi 2 = 4.5, P = 0.15) and the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia increased from 22% to 78% (chi 2 = 16.67, P less than 0.001). There was no elevation of serum transaminases in any of our patients on TAO. Although TAO appears to be efficacious, caution is warranted when TAO is considered for use in younger children with steroid-dependent asthma.