The purpose of this study is to determine whether Sirolimus is more effective and burdened with less side effects than conventional treatment with corticosteroids in patients with active thyroid eye disease.
Grave's disease is one of the most common autoimmune diseases. Thyroid eye disease is affecting nearly 50% of patients with Grave's disease. European guidelines recommend treating patients with serious TED in the acute face with intravenous steroids for 12 weeks. This treatment is burdened with metabolic complications, like raised blood pressure, high blood glucose, worsening of diabetes, osteoporosis, and weight gain. In addition, peptic ulcer and psychological disturbances are frequently seen. Long-term treatment with high doses of steroids could also suppress the corticotropic axis for a variable time period, giving temporary iatrogenic adrenal insufficiency. It is paramount to develop a treatment with equal or better effect and fewer complications for this group of patients. Recently, Teprotumumab, which act by inhibiting Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1), has been introduced in treatment of TED. This represents a new area in the anti-inflammatory treatment of the disease. The anti-inflammatory effect of Sirolimus has not been examined in patients with TED, but there are two promising case-reports describing excellent response. Sirolimus have multiple immunosuppressive actions that may be favourable in the inflammatory response in TED. These are: inhibiting T-cell activation, anti-fibroblast effect and blocking the IGF-1 pathway. In contrast to other immunosuppressive drugs, Sirolimus is associated few side effects at low doses. The investigators are planning a comparative study of conventional treatment (corticosteroids) compared with Sirolimus, regarding clinical outcomes and adverse effects. The investigators plan to include a total of 60 patients (30 in each group) with moderate to severe TED over a period of approximately 3 years.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
60
2 mg Sirolimus (two 1 mg tablets) on the first day, followed by 0,5 mg Sirolimus (half 1 mg tablet) per day for 12 weeks.
500 mg Methylprednisolone intravenously once a week for 6 weeks, followed by 250 mg once a week for 6 weeks. Total period of treatment 12 weeks.
Department of Ophthalmology Haukeland University Hospital
Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
RECRUITINGPercentage of participants who were CAS categorical responders at week 12
CAS categorical responders were defined as participants with a reduction of ≥ 2 CAS points. The CAS is a 7-item description of clinical activity, including: 1. Spontaneous orbital pain; 2. Gaze evoked orbital pain; 3. Eyelid swelling that is considered to be due to active (inflammatory phase) thyroid eye disease/ Graves' Ophthalmopathy or Orbitopathy (TED/GO); 4. Eyelid erythema; 5. Conjunctival redness that is considered to be due to active (inflammatory phase) TED/GO (ignore "equivocal" redness); 6. Chemosis; 7. Inflammation of caruncle or plica. Each item is scored (1=present; 0=absent) and scores for each item are summed for total score of 0 (no inflammatory symptoms) to 7 (most inflammatory symptoms).
Time frame: Week 12
Percentage of participants who were proptosis responders at week 12
Proptosis responders were defined as percentage of participants with ≥ 2 mm reduction from baseline in proptosis in one eye at week 12.
Time frame: Week 12
Percentage of participants who were eyelid retraction responders at week 12
Eyelid retraction responders were defined as percentage of participants with ≥ 3 mm reduction from baseline in vertical lid aperture in one eye at week 12
Time frame: Week 12
Percentage of participants who were diplopia responders at week 12
Diplopia responders were defined as percentage of participants with ≥ 1 class improvement of eye motility from baseline assessed by Gorman score. Gorman score: 1 = no diplopia, 2 =intermittent diplopia, 3 = inconstant (gaze-evoked) diplopia, 4 = constant diplopia in primary or reading position.
Time frame: Baseline, up to Week 12
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