Treatment of Pulmonary Sarcoidosis With Pentoxifylline
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2004-05-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Sarcoidosis is a disease most commonly affecting the lungs, but it can also involve lymph
nodes, skin, liver, spleen, eyes, bones, and glands. The cause of the disease is unknown.
When it occurs it can produce an inflammatory reaction leading to irreversible organ damage
and disability.
In sarcoidosis granulomas can form in various organs (primarily lung) which can lead to its
dysfunction. Granuloma is formed by clusters of inflammatory cells. The formation of these
granulomas is influenced by the release of a substance called TNF-alpha (tumor necrosis
factor alpha) which is found in some white blood cells. A drug known as pentoxifylline (POF)
is known to markedly reduce the release of TNF-alpha.
The standard medical treatment for sarcoidosis is steroid therapy. However, steroid therapy
is associated with significant side effects and often must be stopped. Unfortunately, some of
these patients can relapse when the steroid therapy is discontinued. Because of this,
researchers are interested in finding alternative therapies for the treatment of sarcoidosis.
This study will evaluate the effectiveness of giving POF to patients with sarcoidosis
currently taking steroids. Researchers will compare the results between patients taking
steroids with pentoxifylline and those patients taking steroids alone.