Why avoidance of the sun might help sarcoidosis?

August 23, 2006

You think maybe an increase in melatonin, might be why the MP's

recommendation to avoid sunlight, helps people with sarcoidosis?

J Pineal Res. 2006 Sep;41(2):95-100.

Melatonin is a safe and effective treatment for chronic pulmonary

and extrapulmonary sarcoidosis.

Pignone AM, Rosso AD, Fiori G, Matucci-Cerinic M, Becucci A,

Tempestini A , Livi R, Generini S, Gramigna L, Benvenuti C,

Carossino AM, Conforti ML, Perfetto F.

Section of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University

of Florence, Florence, Italy.

Chronic sarcoidosis (CS) is often unresponsive to usual treatments.

Melatonin, an immunoregulatory drug, was employed in CS patients in

whom usual treatments were ineffective or induced severe side

effects. Melatonin was given for 2 yr (20 mg/day in the first year,

10 mg/day in the second year) to 18 CS patients. Pulmonary function

tests, chest X rays, pulmonary computed tomography, Ga(67)

scintigraphy and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) were assayed at

baseline and in the follow-up. Normalization of ACE, improvement of

pulmonary parameters and resolution of skin involvement were found

in the patients given melatonin. After 24 months of melatonin

therapy, hylar adenopathy completely resolved in eight patients and

parenchymal lesions were markedly improved in all patients; in the

five patients with reduced diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon

monoxide, the values normalized after 6 months of therapy and

remained stable until month 24. After 24 months, Ga(67) pulmonary

and extra-pulmonary uptake was totally normalized in seven patients

and, at month 12 months, ACE was normalized in six patients in which

the values were high at the baseline. Skin lesions, present in three

patients, completely disappeared at month 24 months. No side effects

were experienced and no disease relapse was observed during

melatonin treatment. Melatonin may be an effective and safe therapy

for CS when other treatments fail or cause side effects.

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