A Study on the Effects of a Single Dose of Prednisone on Biomarkers of Allergen Responses in Asthmatics (MK-0000-175)

Participants were treated with either prednisone or placebo, followed 1 hour later by nasal allergen challenge and then inhaled allergen challenge. After 7 hours had elapsed, nasal exudates (NE) and sputum (SP) were collected, then the concentrations of IL-5 were determined from NE and SP collected after 7 hours and previously at baseline (BL), to derive the fold change (FC) from BL for each participant. The geometric mean (GM) was determined by averaging FC from BL for all analyzed participants.

Participants were treated with either prednisone or placebo, followed 1 hour later by nasal allergen challenge and then inhaled allergen challenge. After 7 hours had elapsed, NE and SP were collected, then the concentrations of IL-13 were determined from NE and SP collected after 7 hours and previously at BL, to derive the FC from BL for each participant. The GM was determined by averaging FC from BL for all analyzed participants.

Participants were treated with either prednisone or placebo, followed 1 hour later by nasal allergen challenge and then inhaled allergen challenge. After 7 hours had elapsed, NE and SP were collected, then the concentrations of TARC were determined from NE and SP collected after 7 hours and previously at BL, to derive the FC from BL for each participant. The GM was determined by averaging FC from BL for all analyzed participants.

Participants were treated with either prednisone or placebo, followed 1 hour later by nasal allergen challenge and then inhaled allergen challenge. After 7 hours had elapsed, NE and SP were collected, then the concentrations of Eotaxin-3 were determined from NE and SP collected after 7 hours and previously at BL, to derive the FC from BL for each participant. The GM was determined by averaging FC from BL for all analyzed participants.

One hour before treatment with prednisone/placebo, participants inhaled for 2 minutes a nebulised solution of metacholine (0.13 ml/min); then one hour after prednisone/placebo treatment were challenged with allergens. From 1 to 7 hours after allergen challenge, ventilatory heterogeneity was assessed by Vibration Response Imaging (VRI) by monitoring the following: inspiration/expiration (I/E) amplitude ratio, I/E duration ratio, synchrony duration, and quantitative lung data.

Participants were treated with either prednisone or placebo, followed 1 hour later by nasal allergen challenge and then inhaled allergen challenge. After 7 hours had elapsed, SP were collected, then the RNA expression profiles of IL-5 and IL-13 genes were determined from SP collected after 7 hours and previously at baseline, to derive the FC from BL for each participant. The GM was determined by averaging FC from BL for all analyzed participants.

Participants were treated with either prednisone or placebo, followed 1 hour later by nasal allergen challenge and then inhaled allergen challenge. After 7 hours had elapsed, NE and SP were collected, then the concentrations of IL-17 were determined from NE and SP collected after 7 hours and previously at BL, to derive the FC from BL for each participant. The GM was determined by averaging FC from BL for all analyzed participants.

Participants were treated with either prednisone or placebo, followed 1 hour later by nasal allergen challenge and then inhaled allergen challenge. After 7 hours had elapsed, NE and SP were collected, then the concentrations of IL-1β were determined from NE and SP collected after 7 hours and previously at BL, to derive the FC from BL for each participant. The GM was determined by averaging FC from BL for all analyzed participants.

Participants were treated with either prednisone or placebo, followed 1 hour later by nasal allergen challenge and then inhaled allergen challenge. After 7 hours had elapsed, NE and SP were collected, then the concentrations of MIP-1β were determined from NE and SP collected after 7 hours and previously at BL, to derive the FC from BL for each participant. The GM was determined by averaging FC from BL for all analyzed participants.

Participants were treated with either prednisone or placebo, followed 1 hour later by nasal allergen challenge and then inhaled allergen challenge. After 7 hours had elapsed, NE and SP were collected, then the concentrations of TSLP were determined from NE and SP collected after 7 hours and previously at BL, to derive the FC from BL for each participant. The GM was planned to be determined by averaging FC from BL for all analyzed participants.

Participants were treated with either prednisone or placebo, followed 1 hour later by nasal allergen challenge and then inhaled allergen challenge. After 7 hours had elapsed, NE and SP were collected, then the concentrations of IL-23 were determined from NE and SP collected after 7 hours and previously at BL, to derive the FC from BL for each participant. The GM was plan to be determined by averaging FC from BL for all analyzed participants.

Participants were treated with either prednisone or placebo, followed 1 hour later by nasal allergen challenge and then inhaled allergen challenge. After 23 hours had elapsed, BALf were collected, then the concentrations of IL-5, IL-13, and TARC were determined from BALf collected after 23 hours and previously at BL, to derive the FC from BL for each participant. The GM was planned to be determined by averaging FC from BL for all analyzed participants.

Participants were treated with either prednisone or placebo, followed 1 hour later by nasal allergen challenge and then inhaled allergen challenge. After 7 hours had elapsed, NE and SP were collected, then prostaglandin and leukotriene concentrations were determined from NE and SP collected after 7 hours and previously at BL, to derive the FC from BL for each participant. The GM was planned to be determined by averaging FC from BL for all analyzed participants.