Bone metabolism in children with asthma treated with nebulized flunisolide: a multicenter italian study

Abstract This multicenter, parallel-group, open-label, randomized study was conducted in prepubertal children with mild asthma to investigate the efficacy and influence on bone and collagen turnover of a daily regimen of flunisolide 1200 μg alone (group A, n=14), flunisolide 600 μg in combination with sodium cromoglycate (SCG) 60 mg (group B, n=15), or SCG 60 mg alone (group C, n=15) for 4 months. All medications were administered by means of a jet nebulizer using a mouthpiece. Serum osteocalcin (OC), bone alkaline phosphate (B-ALP), and procollagen type I carboxyterminal propeptide (PICP) were measured as markers of bone formation, and type I collagen telopeptide (ICTP) was measured as a m…