Pentoxifylline is not a promising treatment for multiple sclerosis in progression phase.
Fourteen MS patients took pentoxifylline at varying doses for up to 24 months. In vitro production of tumor necrosis factor alpha was reduced in patients taking 2,400 to 3,200 mg/day of pentoxifylline for 12 weeks or more. Twelve of the 14 patients experienced worsening of the disease during the study according to clinical, MRI, or visual evoked potential criteria. These results provide no hint of efficacy for pentoxifylline as a treatment for MS in progression phase.
Myers
L W
LW
Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1769, USA.
Ellison
G W
GW
Merrill
J E
JE
El Hajjar
A
A
St Pierre
B
B
Hijazin
M
M
Leake
B D
BD
Bentson
J R
JR
Nuwer
M R
MR
Tourtellotte
W W
WW
Davis
P
P
Granger
D
D
Fahey
J L
JL
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D010431:Pentoxifylline