title: Usefulness of low-dose methotrexate monotherapy for treating sarcoidosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Methotrexate (MTX) is a cytotoxic agent that is commonly employed as an alternative to corticosteroids to treat sarcoidosis, although the proper use and efficacy of MTX as a single agent remain unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical records of patients newly diagnosed with sarcoidosis who were admitted to our institution between 2000 and 2009 were reviewed. Among these patients, 26 received 7.5 mg of MTX per week as a single agent, and the independent effects of MTX were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six of the 26 patients (23%) exhibited an improvement of sarcoidosis-related lesions. The skin lesions demonstrated a relatively higher response rate (37%) than the pulmonary lesions (9%). Ten of the 26 patients (39%) experienced adverse effects, mostly mild hepatotoxicity. No severe adverse effects, including irreversible hepatotoxicity, were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the efficacy of low-dose MTX monotherapy for sarcoidosis in this study was not high (23%), some patients exhibited definite improvements, and the drug proved to be safe, suggesting its possible benefits as a single agent for treating sarcoidosis.
authors: Department of Chest Medicine, Japan Railway Tokyo General Hospital, Japan.
authors: Takuma
authors: T
authors: Isshiki
authors: Tetsuo
authors: T
authors: Yamaguchi
authors: Yoshihito
authors: Y
authors: Yamada
authors: Keita
authors: K
authors: Maemura
authors: Kosuke
authors: K
authors: Makita
authors: Hideyuki
authors: H
authors: Takeshima
authors: Yasutaka
authors: Y
authors: Hirasawa
authors: Yoko
authors: Y
authors: Yamaguchi
authors: Keisuke
authors: K
authors: Hosoki
authors: Mika
authors: M
authors: Suzuki
authors: Chiyoko
authors: C
authors: Kono
authors: Jiro
authors: J
authors: Terada
authors: Koichiro
authors: K
authors: Tatsumi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D008727:Methotrexate