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(Chest. 1999;116:1665-1668.)
© 1999 American College of Chest Physicians

Effects of Itraconazole Therapy in Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis*

Fabienne Salez, MD; Anne Brichet, MD; Sophie Desurmont, MD; Jean-Marie Grosbois, MD; Benoit Wallaert, MD and André-Bernard Tonnel, MD

* From the Clinique des Maladies Respiratoires, Hôpital Calmette (Drs. Salez, Brichet, Desurmont, Wallaert, and Tonnel), and the Clinique de la Louvière (Dr. Grosbois), Lille, France.

Correspondence to: Dr. André-Bernard Tonnel, Service de Pneumologie et Immuno-Allergologie, Hôpital Calmette, Bd du Prof. Leclerc, 59037 Lille Cedex, France


   Abstract
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 Abstract
Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Study objectives: Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is the result of an immune reaction to antigens of Aspergillus fumigatus, which colonizes the bronchial lumen of affected individuals. Presently, the recommended treatment of ABPA, mainly for acute episodes of exacerbations, is administration of glucocorticoids. We initiated this study to analyze the effects of itraconazole on the clinical, biological, and functional parameters in patients with ABPA.

Patients: in this report, we describe the follow-up of 14 asthmatic patients who presented with ABPA. During the 2-year reference period (a 2-year period before the introduction of itraconazole), 14 patients were treated with inhaled corticosteroids and 12 of the 14 received oral glucocorticoids. During the itraconazole treatment period, the patients were treated with oral itraconazole, 200 mg/d, for at least 12 months.

Results: During the 2-year reference period, no significant clinical, immunologic, and functional improvement was observed on a long-term basis. During the itraconazole treatment period, a clinical improvement was observed. Blood eosinophilia, serum total IgE levels, and serum precipitating antibodies against A fumigatus antigen significantly decreased. No decrease of specific IgE against A fumigatus spp was observed. All patients experienced a partial improvement in pulmonary function tests: FEV1 significantly increased from 1,433 ± 185 to 1,785 ± 246 mL/s (p < 0.01). All patients successfully lowered oral glucocorticoid dose when receiving itraconazole. In 7 of 14 patients receiving itraconazole, the removal of oral glucocorticoids was possible.

Conclusion: These results demonstrate the efficacy of itraconazole in ABPA in reducing or eliminating the need for glucocorticoid therapy, along with clinical, biological, and functional improvement.

Key Words: Aspergillus • asthma • itraconazole • steroids


   Introduction
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 Abstract
 Introduction
Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a complex hypersensitivity reaction related to the presence of Aspergillus fumigatus colonizing the bronchial tree. ABPA is a rare etiology of asthma, but it must be thought of in severe asthma or glucocorticoid-dependent asthma.1 2 3 4 Treatment still represents the dark area in our knowledge of ABPA. Although the efficacy of oral glucocorticoids in the acute phase or in exacerbations is well known, long-term treatment of the chronic form of the disease remains unclear.5 6 Most of the patients with ABPA require long-term oral glucocorticoid therapy, with severe side effects such as osteoporosis, mellitus diabetes, and weight gain. Because A fumigatus colonizes the bronchial tree, antifungal therapy might be useful. Some authors have studied the effects of amphotericin and ketoconazole in ABPA, but no significant improvement has been observed.7 Itraconazole is a triazol antifungal agent that is active against A fumigatus, notably in invasive aspergillosis.8 9 With this in mind, we report the effects of itraconazole on the clinical, biological, and functional parameters in 14 patients with ABPA. The patients were followed during a 2-year reference period before the introduction of itraconazole, and then during a 1-year itraconazole treatment period.


   Materials and Methods
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 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Patients
Fourteen patients were studied: 7 men and 7 women (mean age, 44.5 ± 3.1 years old; range, 26 to 67). All of them presented signs of ABPA as defined by the criteria of Rosenberg et al.6 The patients were considered to have ABPA if they had asthma, eosinophilia, immediate skin reaction to A fumigatus antigen, elevated total serum IgE (> 1,000 UI/mL), elevated serum specific IgE, serum precipitins to A fumigatus, transient pulmonary infiltrates, and central bronchiectasis.6 10 The clinical characteristics of the patients before itraconazole treatment are summarized in Table 1 .


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  		Table 1.. Clinical Characteristics of the 14 Patients at the Beginning of the Study*

 
Study Design
During the initial 2-year reference period, the patients were treated with inhaled glucocorticoid and short acting ß2-agonists; 12 out of 14 were taking long-term oral glucocorticoids (prednisolone). The oral glucocorticoids were adjusted to the lowest dose to obtain adequate clinical control, but they were reintroduced at a higher dose (1 mg/kg/d) when acute exacerbation occurred. Active treatment with itraconazole, 200 mg qd, was started after this 2-year reference period and was continued for 1 year. During the entire study, a clinical assessment of the patients was performed four times a year in the outpatient section. Lung function tests and chest radiographs were performed at least once a year and more often in cases with a suspicion of clinical exacerbation.

Clinical and Laboratory Assessments
Exacerbations of asthma were defined as periods of increased symptoms and reduced lung function that resulted in diminished ability to perform usual activities.11 Exacerbation of ABPA was characterized by chest radiograph infiltrates (usually pulmonary infiltrations of the middle lobe or upper lobes),12 peripheral blood eosinophilia, and markedly elevated total serum IgE. Worsening of asthma was or was not associated with exacerbation of ABPA.5

A chest radiograph was performed in the posteroanterior projection once a year during the 2-year reference period and three times a year during the itraconazole period.

Pulmonary function tests were performed using in standard spirometry (model 1070; Medical Graphics; St. Paul, MN), and lung volumes were measured via body plethysmography (model 1085; Medical Graphics). Lung functions were performed once a year and more often in cases with a clinical suspicion of exacerbation.

Complete and differential blood counts were obtained. Total serum IgE was measured by fluoroenzymeimmunoanalysis (UniCAP; Pharmacia & Upjohn; Stockholm, Sweden). Specific IgE against A fumigatus antigen was measured by fluoroenzymeimmunoanalysis (UniCAP; Pharmacia & Upjohn). Precipitins against A fumigatus antigens were determined by the double gel diffusion technique of Ouchterlony using A fumigatus antigen.

The results were expressed as mean ± SEM. The Wilcoxon nonparametric procedure was used to compare differences between the reference period and the itraconazole period. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05.


   Results
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 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
Discussion
 References
 
During the first 2-year reference period, the number of exacerbations of ABPA per year was 2.4 ± 0.2. Four patients had three or more exacerbations per year. The values of FEV1, FVC, and forced expiratory flow after 25 to 75% of vital capacity has been expelled ( FEF25–75%) at the beginning of the study and at the end of this 2-year reference period are shown in Table 2 , as well as biological data.


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  		Table 2.. Evolution of Laboratory Data and Pulmonary Function Tests*

 
All the 14 patients were treated with itraconazole for 1 year. Interestingly, itraconazole treatment was associated with a marked improvement of clinical symptoms: the number of acute exacerbations of ABPA significantly decreased from 2 ± 0.2 to 0.93 ± 0.4/yr (p < 0.01; Fig 1 ). In patient 9, more exacerbations were observed during the itraconazole treatment, but FEV1 showed an improvement (from 2,230 mL just before the introduction of itraconazole to 2,960 mL after 1 year of itraconazole). For patients 2, 12, and 13, no more exacerbations were observed during itraconazole treatment.



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  		Figure 1.. The number of clinical exacerbations in 14 patients and the comparison of the 2-year reference period to the 1-year itraconazole treatment period.

 
The mean oral glucocorticoid dosage decreased from 22 ± 3.3 to 6.5 ± 2.3 mg/d. Oral glucocorticoid therapy was stopped in 7 of 12 patients at the end of the itraconazole treatment period. It is worth noting that during the reference period, the mean oral glucocorticoid dosage did not decrease significantly (from 26.6 ± 6.2 to 22 ± 3.3 mg/d; Fig 2 ).



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  		Figure 2.. The evolution of daily glucocorticoid treatment.

 
Despite the progressive decrease of oral glucocorticoids, lung function tests (FEV1 and FEF25–75%) significantly improved (Table 2) . Blood eosinophilia, serum total IgE, and serum precipitin antibodies against A fumigatus antigen significantly decreased during itraconazole treatment. No decrease of A fumigatus-specific IgE was observed (Table 2) .

Several parameters were analyzed at the beginning of and during itraconazole treatment (clinical side effects of itraconazole such as hallucinations13 ). In addition, because of its inhibitory effects on cytochrome P-450 enzymes, liver function tests, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase were also measured. The follow-up of these biological parameters showed no significant changes.


   Discussion
TOP
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
References
 
Our study demonstrates that itraconazole is an effective treatment of ABPA, allowing a significant improvement of clinical symptoms, a reduction of the mean dose of oral glucocorticoids, and a partial but significant improvement of pulmonary function tests.

Because ABPA is a rare and chronic disease that spreads its course over many years, it is difficult to perform a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study; therefore, we chose to use a methodology in which the same patients were used as controls. We retrospectively evaluated 14 patients who were regularly followed up at the outpatient section; all of the patients received in the previous 2 years drugs that are usually employed in ABPA according to the severity of asthma and/or the occurrence of acute episodes of exacerbations. In these 14 patients for whom we had adequate information on chest radiograph, pulmonary function tests, and biological data, treatment with itraconazole was begun and was followed for 12 months.

Associated with A fumigatus bronchial colonization, ABPA represents a lung disorder for which antifungal therapy may be potentially useful. Stark14 described a case of ABPA that was successfully treated with inhalation of nystatin. Shale and colleagues15 studied the use of ketoconazole in six patients and demonstrated efficiency in ABPA, but no respiratory function improvement was observed. This study was abandoned due to the report of liver alterations and other side effects associated with ketoconazole.

Recently, a new triazole antifungal agent, itraconazole, was evaluated in the treatment of aspergillosis: itraconazole may be effective in 55 to 80% of patients with invasive aspergillosis, this being similar to amphotericin B.9 16 17 Denning et al18 have reported improvement in clinical, serologic, and pulmonary function status with itraconazole treatment in six patients with ABPA (three of the six patients had underlying cystic fibrosis); unfortunately, no statistical analysis was performed due to the small number of patients. Nepomuceno et al19 also recently reported the efficacy of itraconazole in 16 patients with cystic fibrosis and ABPA, as judged by fewer acute episodes of ABPA despite a reduction in the average daily oral steroid dose. Germaud et al20 noted the advantage of associating itraconazole with corticosteroid treatment in six patients with ABPA, and the efficiency of itraconazole alone in six other patients. However pulmonary function tests were not performed, which did not allow for any significant conclusion. In our study, it is of importance to emphasize the fact that 12 patients had severe asthma and initially required oral glucocorticoids.

Surprisingly, while itraconazole induced a significant decrease in total IgE levels, treatment did not modify specific IgE antibodies against A fumigatus. This has also been reported by Denning et al18 and Germaud et al.20

The mechanisms by which itraconazole improves lung function remain controversial. The fact that precipitins decrease suggests that itraconazole acts as an antifungal treatment.21 22 However, we cannot exclude the fact that itraconazole exerts anti-inflammatory properties. Linthoudt et al23 hypothesize that the interaction between itraconazole and exogenous glucocorticoids may explain the ability to reduce the glucocorticoid dose; however, in our study, glucocorticoid therapy was stopped in seven patients, suggesting another mechanism.

In conclusion, our results confirm the reports of Denning et al,18 Germaud et al,20 and Pacheco et al22 in support of the hypothesis that itraconazole is useful in the prevention of recurrent acute episodes and exacerbations of ABPA. Oral itraconazole allowed the reduction or elimination of the use of oral corticosteroids in the management of ABPA. However, randomized, controlled studies are required to determine the role of itraconazole in the long-term management of ABPA and the duration of itraconazole treatment to control ABPA and to avoid relapse.


   Footnotes
 
Abbreviations: ABPA = allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis; FEF25–75% = forced expiratory flow after 25 to 75% of vital capacity has been expelled

Received for publication January 5, 1999. Accepted for publication June 23, 1999.


   References
TOP
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 

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  7. Fournier, EC (1987) Trial of ketoconazole in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis [letter]. Thorax 42,831
  8. Ellis, ME, Halim, MA, Spence, D, et al (1995) Systemic amphoterin B versus fluconazole in the management of antibiotic resistant neutropenic fever: preliminary observations from a pilot, exploratory study. J Infect 30,141-146[CrossRef][ISI][Medline]
  9. Jennings, TS, Hardin, TC (1993) Treatment of aspergillosis with itraconazole. Ann Pharmacother 27,1206-1211[Abstract]
  10. Greenberger, PA, Miller, TP, Roberts, M, et al (1993) Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in patients with and without evidence of bronchiectasis. Ann Allergy 70,333-338[ISI][Medline]
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