Trial reportLung2024
Effects of Azithromycin on Blood Inflammatory Gene Expression and Cytokine Production in Sarcoidosis.
Trial report in Lung, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- The potential role of CD44+ monocytes in mediating hyperinflammatory response in bronchopulmonary dysplasia in very premature infants.Pediatric research · 2026Article
- Long-Term Macrolides in Chronic Respiratory Diseases: Dusk or a New Dawn? A Narrative Review.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Article
- LUNG Year in Review: 2024.Lung · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionIn sarcoidosis granulomas, monocyte-derived macrophages are activated by pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF and IL-6. Current drug treatment for sarcoidosis aims to suppress inflammation but disabling side effects can ensue. The macrolide azithromycin may be anti-inflammatory. We aimed to determine whether treatment with azithromycin affects blood inflammatory gene expression and monocyte functions in sarcoidosis.
methodsBlood samples were collected from patients with chronic pulmonary sarcoidosis enrolled in a single arm, open label clinical trial who received oral azithromycin 250 mg once daily for 3 months. Whole blood inflammatory gene expression with or without LPS stimulation was measured using a 770-mRNA panel. Phenotypic analysis and cytokine production were conducted by flow cytometry and ELISA after 24h stimulation with growth factors and TLR ligands. mTOR activity was assessed by measuring phosphorylated S6RP.
resultsDifferential gene expression analysis indicated a state of heightened myeloid cell activation in sarcoidosis. Compared with controls, sarcoidosis patients showed increased LPS responses for several cytokines and chemokines. Treatment with azithromycin had minimal effect on blood gene expression overall, but supervised clustering analysis identified several chemokine genes that were upregulated. At the protein level, azithromycin treatment increased LPS-stimulated TNF and unstimulated IL-8 production. No other cytokines showed significant changes following azithromycin. Blood neutrophil counts fell during azithromycin treatment whereas mononuclear cells remained stable. Azithromycin had no detectable effects on mTOR activity or activation markers.
conclusionBlood myeloid cells are activated in sarcoidosis, but azithromycin therapy did not suppress inflammatory gene expression or cytokine production in blood.
trial registrationEudraCT 2019-000580-24 (17 May 2019).
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