Clinical and biochemical effects of impeded androgen (oxymetholone) therapy of hereditary angioedema

J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1979 Oct;64(4):275-80.

Clinical and biochemical effects of impeded androgen (oxymetholone) therapy of
hereditary angioedema.

Sheffer AL, Fearon DT, Austen KF.

Daily therapy and alternate-day therapy with the attenuated androgen oxymetholone
were compared in patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE). Fifteen of 16
patients who experienced at least monthly attacks of HAE without treatment were
asymptomatic on administration of 5 mg oxymetholene daily. When 13 of the
patients who had been maintained asymptomatically on 5 mg oxymetholone daily were
advanced to a treatment schedule of 5 mg every other day, seven attacks occurred
during a cummulative 50 mo of therapy. The adverse effects that occurred with
daily oxymetholone therapy largely subsided when the patients received
alternate-day therapy, while a significant mean rise in C4 protein and function
occurred only on daily therapy. Statistically significant mean increases in serum
levels of C1INH occurred with daily therapy and were maintained with
alternate-day therapy. Clinical benefit can be obtained with a treatment program
that does not produce a statistically significant rise in C4 protein or function
and does not raise C1INH to the lower limit of normal. The finding that
alternate-day therapy diminished the side effects of the drug while affording a
substantial reduction in the incidence and severity of attacks indicates the
feasibility of this therapeutic approach.