Mallappa A, Nella AA, Sinaii N, Rao H, Gounden V, Perritt AF, Kumar P, Ling A, Liu CY, Soldin SJ, Merke DP. Long-term use of
continuous subcutaneous hydrocortisone infusion therapy in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2018;
89:399-407. [PMID:
30003563 PMCID:
PMC6166869 DOI:
10.1111/cen.13813]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
In a phase 2 short-term (6 months) study of patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), continuous subcutaneous hydrocortisone infusion (CSHI) was found to be a safe, effective and well-tolerated method of replacing cortisol with improved disease and patient-related outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the safety and efficacy of long-term CSHI.
DESIGN
Single-centre, open-label, phase 2 extension study.
PATIENTS
Five adults with classic CAH.
MEASUREMENTS
Biomarkers of disease control, metabolic indices and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) estimates.
RESULTS
Six of eight patients chose to continue on long-term CSHI therapy. Compared to baseline, eighteen months of CSHI resulted in decreased (P = 0.043) 0700-hour ACTH, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione and progesterone; increased whole-body lean mass (P = 0.024); and improved HRQoL, especially symptoms of adrenal insufficiency (P = 0.003). Findings at six and eighteen months did not differ, and improvements achieved in androgen control, lean body mass and HRQoL after 6 months of CSHI were maintained at eighteen months. The hydrocortisone dose appeared to decrease with time [6 vs 18 months: 38.3 ± 8.8 vs 33.6 ± 12.2 mg/day (P = 0.062)], especially in women receiving oral contraceptives. Reduction of testicular adrenal rest and adrenal size observed at 6 months remained stable. In one patient, an adrenal adenoma continually decreased over time. Subjective improvement in hirsutism was reported.
CONCLUSIONS
Long-term use of CSHI is a safe and well-tolerated treatment option in a select set of adults with classic CAH. Improvements observed short term in disease control and subjective health status continued long term.
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