Corticosteroid therapy for treating acute exacerbation of interstitial lung diseases: a systematic review

This study conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of corticosteroid therapy in treating acute exacerbation of interstitial lung diseases (AE-ILD). Researchers screened 12,454 articles and analyzed nine studies (total n=18,509) comparing the effects of high- and low-dose corticosteroids. The analysis revealed that in non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (non-IPF) ILD, high-dose corticosteroid therapy improved survival (adjusted HR 0.221, p<0.001) and reduced 90-day mortality. In contrast, for IPF patients, some studies reported an increased mortality risk associated with high-dose therapy (OR 1.075, p<0.001). One of the reviewed studies utilized Aview Lung Texture to quantitatively analyze imaging data from ILD patients and perform lung texture analysis. The study highlights the need for further research to establish optimal corticosteroid dosing and treatment strategies.