About this trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a study drug called Compound Betamethasone (also known as Diprospan) works to treat pulmonary sarcoidosis in people with early-stage disease (stage I or II). It will also learn about its safety compared to the standard treatment, prednisone.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
* How much does the study drug improve lung function (measured by a test called FVC%) after 24 weeks of treatment? * How does it compare to prednisone in controlling symptoms, reducing chest lymph node swelling, and preventing relapse? Researchers will compare Compound Betamethasone injections (given once every 4 weeks) to prednisone pills (taken daily with a gradual dose reduction).
Participants will:
* Receive either the study drug injection or prednisone pills for 24 weeks * Visit the clinic for checkups and lung function tests at weeks 6, 12, and 24 * Have chest CT scans and blood tests to monitor their condition and any side effects * Be followed up for additional 24 weeks (up to week 48) to see if the disease comes back after treatment stops
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Age ≥ 18 years.
Diagnosed within the past 3 months with stage I-II (based on chest CT) treatment-naive pulmonary sarcoidosis, meeting the following: A. Histopathological diagnosis of sarcoidosis via tissue biopsy (bronchial mucosa, intrathoracic lymph nodes, lung, pleura, etc.) obtained during bronchoscopy; B. Chest HRCT showing mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy, with or without pulmonary infiltrates (nodules, patchy opacities, ground-glass opacities, etc.); C. CT stage confirmed independently by at least two experts in the field (among three experts reviewing the chest HRCT images).
Requiring systemic glucocorticoid therapy.
Able to complete scheduled follow-up visits.
Disqualifiers
Patient or family members are unable to understand the conditions and objectives of this study, or are unable to provide informed consent.
Subjects who cannot comply with the follow-up schedule as required by the protocol.
Presence of other serious diseases that, in the investigator's judgment, may affect patient safety or compliance.
Any significant clinical or laboratory abnormalities that, in the investigator's judgment, may affect safety evaluation.
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Prednisone
- Compound betamethasone