Pentoxifylline as an add on to SSRIs

The Role of pentoxifylline as an Anti Tumor Necrosis Factor-¿ In Improving the Outcome of Depressed Elderly Treated With Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors: a pilot randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled trial

Status

Recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

PACTR

Registry ID

PACTR201008000246399

Enrollment

Registered

2010-07-30

Start date

2010-07-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-09-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Mental and Behavioural Disorders Depression

Interventions

SSRI + Placebo

SSRI + pentoxifylline

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Age above 60 yrs Depression according to DSM-IV criteria At least moderate severity of depression as assessed by HDS and GDS

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Liver cell dysfunction by clinical evaluation and ¿ 3 fold ALT. Compromised renal function (creatinine clearance less than 50 mL/minute, as estimated by the MDRD calculator). Reported history of arrhythmias Use of corticosteroids or high dose of any NSAID in the last 3 months.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
¿Serum TNF-¿ level measured by ELISA technique.;¿Severity of depression as assessed by Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HDRS-17] and Geriatric Depression Scale [GDS-30]	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
¿ The need for augmentation beside SSRI (e.g. another group of antidepressant, ECT);The time to response	—

Countries

Egypt

Contacts

Public ContactAhmed M. Abdel-tawab

Director, Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University

amtawab@yahoo.com0020-12-3937457

Outcome results

None listed

Source: PACTR (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Sep 19, 2026