Current treatment of sarcoidosis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous systemic disease of unknown cause where the lung is the most frequently affected organ. Therapeutic management of the disease is challenging as clinical presentation and prognosis are very heterogeneous. In the present review, we will summarize the main advances in sarcoidosis therapy. RECENT FINDINGS: Current sarcoidosis therapies are categorized in three lines: glucocorticoids (first line), immunosuppressants (second line), and biologics (third line). Recent glucocorticoid studies have reported that efficacy could be similar with high and low doses, but with an increase in side effects with higher doses. In immunosuppressants, recent publications in mycophenolate and repository corticotropin injection (RCI) have added more information in their use and efficacy. Finally, new evidence has been published in the use of antitumor necrosis factor (anti-TNFα) agents in refractory cardiac sarcoidosis and neurosarcoidosis. SUMMARY: Sarcoidosis therapy is constantly evolving, and new drugs have been added to the recommended treatments. However, extensive clinical trials are still necessary to optimize the current recommendations.

Synthetic pharmacotherapy for pulmonary sarcoidosis.

INTRODUCTION: Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous systemic disease of unknown cause where the lungs are the most frequently affected. Therapeutic management of the disease is challenging as clinical presentation and prognosis are very heterogeneous. AREAS COVERED: This review summarizes the current knowledge of synthetic therapies for pulmonary sarcoidosis. The most commonly used medication for the treatment of sarcoidosis with lung involvement are glucocorticoids. Nevertheless, not all patients reach an acceptable response or tolerate them and the use of second-line treatments like immunosuppressive agents are necessary. Other kind of drugs could be used but there is no solid evidence and most of them are currently under investigation. EXPERT OPINION: The majority of patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis do not require treatment and their sarcoidotic lung lesions could regress. However, it is important to treat the disease in those cases that could develop organ failure. Although the number of studies of therapies for pulmonary sarcoidosis have increased in recent years, the information available is still limited and there is no consensus on how to monitor the activity of the disease.