Ten of 26 patients with sepsis were given a combination of dexamethasone (0.15 mg/kg, intravenously, once on admission), colchicine (0.5 mg, orally, daily, for 3 days) and pentoxifylline (DCP) (400 mg, orally, daily, for 3 days), together with best medical therapy. Serum tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels were undetectable at 24 h compared with about 4 IU/ml (mean) in 16 similar control patients who were not given DCP (P < 0.06). Although the clinical course in the two groups was not significantly different, this simple, well-tolerated and inexpensive regimen should be further evaluated as a possible means of preventing the deleterious effects of TNF-α in sepsis.
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