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Low-dose methotrexate therapy for childhood sarcoidosis.

AbstractOBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of low oral doses of methotrexate as a steroid-sparing agent in children with sarcoidosis. STUDY DESIGN: An open-label, noncontrolled trial. Methotrexate was administered orally at a single weekly dose of 10 to 15 mg/m2. Duration of therapy was open ended, but patients received treatment for a minimum of 6 months to be considered as having completed the study. RESULTS: Seven children with biopsy-proven sarcoidosis completed the study. The mean dose of prednisone was successfully tapered from 49 mg/day (1.3 mg/kg) to 18 mg/day (0.5 mg/kg) after 3 months of methotrexate therapy and to 9.9 (0.2 mg/kg) and 7.3 mg/day (0.1 mg/kg) after 6 months and at the end of the follow-up period, respectively. Other clinical and laboratory parameters improved significantly after methotrexate therapy was started. There was significant clinical improvement, as confirmed by the reduction of the clinical severity score from 8 +/- 1.1 to 0.8 +/- 0.5 point after 3 months of methotrexate therapy, and to 0.7 and 0.5 +/- 0.3 point after 6 months and at the end of the follow-up, respectively. Laboratory measurements revealed marked improvement, as reflected by a significant reduction in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and an increase of hemoglobin values. The mean serum angiotensin-converting enzyme activity dropped significantly. No adverse side effects were noted with methotrexate therapy.CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that low-dose oral methotrexate therapy was effective and safe and had steroid-sparing properties in seven children with sarcoidosis.
AuthorsA Gedalia, J F Molina, G S Ellis Jr, W Galen, C Moore, L R Espinoza (Affiliation: Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, Children's Hospital, New Orleans, Louisiana State University Medical Center 70112-2822, USA.)
JournalThe Journal of pediatrics (J Pediatr) Vol. 130 Issue 1 Pg. 25-9 (Jan 1997) ISSN: 0022-3476 UNITED STATES
PMID9003847 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article)
Chemical References
  • Glucocorticoids
  • Prednisone
  • Methotrexate
Topics
  • Administration, Oral
  • Child
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Glucocorticoids (therapeutic use)
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Methotrexate (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
  • Prednisone (therapeutic use)
  • Sarcoidosis (classification, drug therapy)
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Treatment Outcome