Effectiveness of low-dose pentoxithylline combined with tocopherol acetate in intrathoracic sacroidosis

Abstract

We conducted a simple prospective trial studied influence of pentoxifylline on the course of active pulmonary sarcoidosis in 70 patients. This drug decreasing TNF-α (tissue necrosis factor-α) level was given orally in the dose of 600 mg 3 times a day in combination with α-to copherol in the dose of 400 IU twice a day. Fourteen patients stopped treatment because of side effects (nausea, dizziness). Fifty-six patients had clinical improvement in 71.4 % of cases, reduction of intrathoracic lymphadenopathy in 71.8 %, reliable improvement in DLCO (lung diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide) and increase in the blood lymphocyte count. The clinical effectiveness of this drug combination was less in chronic sarcoidosis and in patients who had taken systemic glucocorticosteroids or antituberculotics before. A multicentral comparative trial is required to include pentoxifylline to guidelines on management sarcoidosis patients.