Key clinical point: Long-term topical corticosteroid (TCS) and tacrolimus (TAC) treatments had similar efficacy and impact on airway hyperresponsiveness or inflammation in children with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD).
Major finding: At month 36, children treated with TCS and TAC had no significant difference in the mean body surface area (P = .12), mean Eczema Area and Severity Index score (P = .2), mean Investigator’s Global Assessment Score (P = .12), mean transepidermal water loss at eczema site (P = .96) and control site (P = .19), median exhaled nitric oxide level (P = .71), or median bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine (P = .7).
Study details: Findings are from a single-center 3-year follow-up study including 152 children aged 1-3 years with moderate-to-severe AD who were randomly assigned to receive TCS (n = 75) or TAC (n = 77).
Disclosures: This study was supported by the Foundation for Paediatric Research, Finland, Orion Research Foundation, Finland, Orion Pharma, Finland, Astellas Pharma, Japan, and others. Orion and Astellas are commercial manufacturers of the TCS used in this study.
Source: Perälä M et al. Topical tacrolimus versus corticosteroids in childhood moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis with impact on airways: A long-term randomized open-label study. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2023 (Mar 14). Doi: 10.1093/ced/llad098