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Comparison of the efficacy of two different glucocorticoid regimens for treatment of active moderate-to-severe Graves’ orbitopathy

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Abstract

Purpose

Intravenous glucocorticoids (GCs) are the mainstay of treatment for severe forms of Graves’ orbitopathy (GO). Our aim was to assess the effectiveness and safety of a modified monthly regimen (mMR) and to compare them with those of the established weekly regimen (WR).

Methods

This was a prospective non-randomized single-center study involving 62 patients, divided into two therapeutic groups depending on their referral time. Thirty-one subjects, admitted in the period 2017–2018, were treated with mMR, total dose—5.5 g, with intake of oral GCs after completion of intravenous infusions. Thirty subjects, who were referred in the period 2019–2020, were treated with WR, total dose—4.5 g One patient refused to be part of the WR group and was treated with mMR. Eye status and therapeutic response were evaluated on the 1st, 3rd and 6th months, quality of life—at 3rd and 6th month.

Results

At 1st month and 3rd month, there was no significant difference in the therapeutic response between the two groups. At 3rd month, the proportion of patients with improvement in soft tissue manifestations and subjective complaints was significantly higher in mMR group (65.6% vs. 40% and 81.3% vs. 46.7%, respectively) and the same manifestations were of significantly milder degree.

At 3rd month, significant improvement in quality of life was found without significant difference between the two groups.

At 6th month, worsening of GO occurred in 3 patients from WR group, while in 5 patients from mMR group further improvement was found.

Conclusions

The two GC regimens have comparable efficacy with small differences in the time of onset of the effect and its duration, as well as in the effectiveness on some ocular manifestations.

Trial registration number NCT05793359/29.03.2023, retrospectively registered..

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, M.S., upon reasonable request.

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Funding

The authors declare that no funds, grants or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology, Medical University of Sofia, University Hospital of Endocrinology, 2 Zdrave Str., 1431, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Mariya Asenova Stoynova, Alexander Dimitrov Shinkov, Inna Dimitrova Dimitrova, Inna Angelova Yankova & Roussanka Dimitrova Kovatcheva

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  1. Mariya Asenova Stoynova
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  2. Alexander Dimitrov Shinkov
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  3. Inna Dimitrova Dimitrova
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design, Material preparation was performed by MAS, IDD, IAY whereas data collection—by all authors. The first draft of the manuscript was written by MAS and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mariya Asenova Stoynova.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Ethics approval

The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Ethical Committee (approval number 21A/25.07.2017) and was in accordance with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments.

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All patients included in the study signed an informed consent.

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Stoynova, M.A., Shinkov, A.D., Dimitrova, I.D. et al. Comparison of the efficacy of two different glucocorticoid regimens for treatment of active moderate-to-severe Graves’ orbitopathy. Int Ophthalmol 43, 4747–4757 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-023-02875-z

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