Pulse steroids: How much is enough?

Buttgereit, 2004, Glucocorticoids in the treatment of rheumatic diseases: an update on the mechanisms of action, Arthritis Rheum, 50, 3408, 10.1002/art.20583 Cato, 1996, Molecular mechanisms of anti-inflammatory action of glucocorticoids, Bioessays, 18, 371, 10.1002/bies.950180507 Buttgereit, 1998, A new hypothesis of modular glucocorticoid actions: steroid treatment of rheumatic diseases revisited, Arthritis Rheum, 41, 761, 10.1002/1529-0131(199805)41:5<761::AID-ART2>3.0.CO;2-M Noël, 2001, Risk factors and prognostic influence of infection in a single cohort of 87 adults with systemic lupus erythematosus, Ann Rheum Dis, 60, 1141, 10.1136/ard.60.12.1141 Kang, 2003, Infectious complications in SLE after immunosuppressive therapies, Curr Opin Rheumatol, 15, 528, 10.1097/00002281-200309000-00002 Ayoub, 1983, Central nervous system manifestations after pulse therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus, Arthritis Rheum, 26, 809, 10.1002/art.1780260621 Badsha, 2002, Low-dose pulse methylprednisolone for systemic lupus erythematosus flares is efficacious and has a decreased risk of infectious complications, Lupus, 11, 508, 10.1191/0961203302lu243oa Edwards, 1987, A double blind controlled trial of methylprednisolone infusions in systemic lupus erythematosus using individualised outcome assessment, Ann Rheum Dis, 46, 773, 10.1136/ard.46.10.773 Iglehart, 1990, Intravenous pulsed steroids in rheumatoid arthritis: a comparative dose study, J Rheumatol, 17, 159 Cathcart, 1976, Beneficial effects of methylprednisolone “pulse” therapy in diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis, Lancet, 1, 163, 10.1016/S0140-6736(76)91272-1 Dosa, 1978, The treatment of lupus nephritis by methyl prednisolone pulse therapy, Postgrad Med J, 54, 628, 10.1136/pgmj.54.635.628 Eyanson, 1980, Methylprednisolone pulse therapy for nonrenal lupus erythematosus, Ann Rheum Dis, 39, 377, 10.1136/ard.39.4.377 Liebling, 1982, Monthly pulses of methylprednisolone in SLE nephritis, J Rheumatol, 9, 543 Kimberly, 1981, High-dose intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus, Am J Med, 70, 817, 10.1016/0002-9343(81)90538-6 Barron, 1982, Pulse methylprednisolone therapy in diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis, J Pediatr, 101, 137, 10.1016/S0022-3476(82)80203-5 Isenberg, 1982, Methyl prednisolone pulse therapy in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus, Ann Rheum Dis, 41, 347, 10.1136/ard.41.4.347 Ballou, 1985, Intravenous pulse methylprednisolone followed by alternate day corticosteroid therapy in lupus erythematosus: a prospective evaluation, J Rheumatol, 12, 944 Mackworth-Young, 1988, A double blind, placebo controlled trial of intravenous methylprednisolone in systemic lupus erythematosus, Ann Rheum Dis, 47, 496, 10.1136/ard.47.6.496 Howe, 1990, Methylprednisolone in systemic lupus erythematosus, Singapore Med J, 31, 18 Bertoni, 1994, Long term efficacy of high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone pulses in active lupus nephritis. A 21-month prospective study, Scand J Rheumatol, 23, 82, 10.3109/03009749409103033 Gourley, 1996, Methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide, alone or in combination, in patients with lupus nephritis. A randomized, controlled trial, Ann Intern Med, 125, 549, 10.7326/0003-4819-125-7-199610010-00003