Glucocorticoids harmful in viral infections finds INTEREST trial

Researchers have found in a clinical trial INTEREST trial that Glucocorticoids use in treatment of viral respiratory infections is harmful. The findings of the clinical trial have been published in the journal Intensive Care Medicine.

The findings are extremely important especially during the current pandemic, as the COVID-19 disease incapacitates the body's IFN production. WHO has already forbidden the use of glucocorticoids in treating COVID-19.

Glucocorticoids are widely used to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) despite their use being highly controversial based on randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses.The main reason seems to be that there is no effective treatment for ARDS patients on ventilators. The death rate of these patients differs between 30-40 percent depending on the data.

ARDS is often caused by a serious viral or bacterial infection. Type I interferons alpha and beta (IFNs) are signalling proteins produced by the human body and they are needed in fighting off viral infections. For this reason, IFNs have been used successfully in treating ARDS in early-phase clinical trials. However, in a recently published later-phase clinical trial (INTEREST), this effect was no longer observed. The trial was carried out as an international study covering 300 patients at different medical centres.