A randomized, double-blind study evaluated the effects of sulfasalazine and pentoxifylline as adjuvant treatments to a standard cyclophosphamide/steroid regimen in pemphigus vulgaris (PV). The study comprised 42 patients (Group 1) who received the standard regimen with pentoxifylline (400 mg sustained release t.i.d.) and sulfasalazine (500 mg t.i.d.), while 22 patients received standard treatment and placebo (Group 2). Five healthy patients served as controls (Group 3). Clinical outcome was graded as excellent, moderate or poor and serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was measured at baseline and every 2 weeks for 8 weeks. Regarding clinical improvement, 86% had an excellent response in Group 1 and 18% in Group 2 (P < 0.001). Serum TNF-alpha ...