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

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between upper and lower airway allergen-induced cytokine responses in mild asthmatics by attempting to demonstrate the following: 1) a positive correlation between allergen-induced Type 2 T-helper cell (Th2) cytokines (interleukins 5 and 13) in sputum and nasal exudates; and 2) a positive correlation between effects of prednisone versus placebo on Th2 cytokines in sputum and nasal exudates.

Official Title
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A Two-Part, Randomized Clinical Trial to Study the Effects of a Single Dose of Prednisone on Biomarkers of Allergen Responses in Asthmatics

Conditions
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Asthma

Intervention / Treatment
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* Drug: Prednisone
* Drug: Placebo


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Has a clinical history of mild to moderate asthma for at least 6 months, but otherwise is in good health Participant with allergic rhinitis and asthma has a history of nonseasonal airway symptoms in response to aeroallergens OR has seasonal symptoms but can be evaluated out-of-season Is clinically stable and free of respiratory infection or change in allergen exposure for at least 4 weeks prior to start of study Exclusion Criteria: Has intolerance to the study drug, inhaled salbutamol, antihistamines, or any other potential asthma/anaphylaxis rescue medication Has intolerance to lidocaine/lignocaine, sedatives, atropine or glycopyrrolate, or any other medication associated with bronchoscopy Has taken oral parenteral corticosteroids within 8 weeks or inhaled corticosteroids/nasal corticosteroids within 5 weeks of screening and/or during the study Has recent (4 weeks) or ongoing upper or lower respiratory tract infection Has active allergic rhinitis at screening Has received a vaccination within 3 weeks of screening

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 55 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Triple


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Prednisone, then Placebo<br>Prednisone in the first crossover treatment period and placebo in the second crossover treatment period | Drug: Prednisone<br>* Prednisone (25 mg) tablets as a single oral dose on Day 1 of each study period<br>Drug: Placebo<br>* Matching placebo tablets as a single oral dose on Day 1 of each study period<br>|
| Experimental: Placebo, then Prednisone<br>Placebo in the first crossover treatment period and prednisone in the second crossover treatment period | Drug: Prednisone<br>* Prednisone (25 mg) tablets as a single oral dose on Day 1 of each study period<br>Drug: Placebo<br>* Matching placebo tablets as a single oral dose on Day 1 of each study period<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Geometric Mean Fold Change From Baseline in Interleukin-5 (IL-5) Concentration From Nasal Exudates and Sputum at 7 Hours Post-allergen Challenge | 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. | Baseline and 7 hours post-allergen challenge | 
| Geometric Mean Fold Change From Baseline in Interleukin-13 (IL-13) From Nasal Exudates and Sputum at 7 Hours Post-allergen Challenge | 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. | Baseline and 7 hours post-allergen challenge | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Geometric Mean Fold Change From Baseline in Thymus and Activation Regulated Chemokine (TARC) From Nasal Exudates and Sputum at 7 Hours Post-allergen Challenge | 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. | Baseline and 7 hours post-allergen challenge | 
| Geometric Mean Fold Change From Baseline in Eotaxin-3 From Nasal Exudates and Sputum at 7 Hours Post-allergen Challenge | 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. | Baseline and 7 hours post-allergen challenge | 
| Change in Vibration Response Imaging (VRI) After Metacholine Exposure | 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. | From 1 to 7 hours post-allergen challenge | 
| Geometric Mean Fold Change From Baseline in RNA Expression for Genes Encoding IL-5 and IL-13 From Sputum at 7 Hours Post-allergen Challenge | 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. | Baseline and 7 hours post-allergen challenge | 
| Geometric Mean Fold Change From Baseline in Interleukin-17 (IL-17) From Nasal Exudates and Sputum at 7 Hours Post-allergen Challenge | 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. | Baseline and 7 hours post-allergen challenge | 
| Geometric Mean Fold Change From Baseline in Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) From Nasal Exudates and Sputum at 7 Hours Post-allergen Challenge | 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. | Baseline and 7 hours post-allergen challenge | 
| Geometric Mean Fold Change From Baseline in Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-1β (MIP-1β) From Nasal Exudates and Sputum at 7 Hours Post-allergen Challenge | 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. | Baseline and 7 hours post-allergen challenge | 
| Geometric Mean Fold Change From Baseline in Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (TSLP) From Nasal Exudates and Sputum at 7 Hours Post-allergen Challenge | 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. | Baseline and 7 hours post-allergen challenge | 
| Geometric Mean Fold Change From Baseline in Interleukin-23 (IL-23) From Nasal Exudates and Sputum at 7 Hours Post-allergen Challenge | 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. | Baseline and 7 hours post-allergen challenge | 
| Geometric Mean Fold Change From Baseline in Cytokines From Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (BALf) | 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. | Baseline and 23 hours post-allergen challenge | 
| Geometric Mean Fold Change From Baseline in Nasal and Bronchial Eicosanoids and Leukotrienes at 7 Hours Post-allergen Challenge. | 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. | Baseline and 7 hours post-allergen challenge | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Nasal Allergen Challenge, Inhaled Allergen Challenge, Asthma