Biomaterial Database

Practical use of immunosuppressive drugs in autoimmune rheumatic diseases. 1990

A De Jesus, and N Talal

Clinical Immunology Section, Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital, San Antonio, TX.

Immunosuppressive drugs are frequently used in the treatment of autoimmune rheumatic diseases when more conventional therapy, including corticosteroids, fail to control the manifestations of disease. The practical use of these drugs in rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and vasculitis (including Wegener's granulomatosis and Sjögren's syndrome) are reviewed. The focus is on the indications for the administration of these agents and proper monitoring of their effect on disease activity.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007166	Immunosuppressive Agents	Agents that suppress immune function by one of several mechanisms of action. Classical cytotoxic immunosuppressants act by inhibiting DNA synthesis. Others may act through activation of T-CELLS or by inhibiting the activation of HELPER CELLS. While immunosuppression has been brought about in the past primarily to prevent rejection of transplanted organs, new applications involving mediation of the effects of INTERLEUKINS and other CYTOKINES are emerging.	Immunosuppressant,Immunosuppressive Agent,Immunosuppressants,Agent, Immunosuppressive,Agents, Immunosuppressive
D008180	Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic	A chronic, relapsing, inflammatory, and often febrile multisystemic disorder of connective tissue, characterized principally by involvement of the skin, joints, kidneys, and serosal membranes. It is of unknown etiology, but is thought to represent a failure of the regulatory mechanisms of the autoimmune system. The disease is marked by a wide range of system dysfunctions, an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and the formation of LE cells in the blood or bone marrow.	Libman-Sacks Disease,Lupus Erythematosus Disseminatus,Systemic Lupus Erythematosus,Disease, Libman-Sacks,Libman Sacks Disease
D009220	Myositis	Inflammation of a muscle or muscle tissue.	Inflammatory Myopathy,Myositis, Focal,Myositis, Infectious,Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies,Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy,Idiopathic Inflammatory Myositis,Infectious Myositis,Inflammatory Muscle Diseases,Inflammatory Myopathies, Idiopathic,Inflammatory Myopathy, Idiopathic,Muscle Diseases, Inflammatory,Myopathies, Idiopathic Inflammatory,Myopathy, Inflammatory,Myositis, Proliferative,Focal Myositides,Focal Myositis,Infectious Myositides,Inflammatory Muscle Disease,Inflammatory Myopathies,Muscle Disease, Inflammatory,Myopathies, Inflammatory,Myopathy, Idiopathic Inflammatory,Myositides,Myositides, Focal,Myositides, Infectious,Myositides, Proliferative,Proliferative Myositides,Proliferative Myositis
D003882	Dermatomyositis	A subacute or chronic inflammatory disease of muscle and skin, marked by proximal muscle weakness and a characteristic skin rash. The illness occurs with approximately equal frequency in children and adults. The skin lesions usually take the form of a purplish rash (or less often an exfoliative dermatitis) involving the nose, cheeks, forehead, upper trunk, and arms. The disease is associated with a complement mediated intramuscular microangiopathy, leading to loss of capillaries, muscle ischemia, muscle-fiber necrosis, and perifascicular atrophy. The childhood form of this disease tends to evolve into a systemic vasculitis. Dermatomyositis may occur in association with malignant neoplasms. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1405-6)	Polymyositis-Dermatomyositis,Dermatomyositis, Adult Type,Dermatomyositis, Childhood Type,Dermatopolymyositis,Juvenile Dermatomyositis,Juvenile Myositis,Adult Type Dermatomyositis,Childhood Type Dermatomyositis,Dermatomyositis, Juvenile,Myositis, Juvenile,Polymyositis Dermatomyositis
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001172	Arthritis, Rheumatoid	A chronic systemic disease, primarily of the joints, marked by inflammatory changes in the synovial membranes and articular structures, widespread fibrinoid degeneration of the collagen fibers in mesenchymal tissues, and by atrophy and rarefaction of bony structures. Etiology is unknown, but autoimmune mechanisms have been implicated.	Rheumatoid Arthritis
D001327	Autoimmune Diseases	Disorders that are characterized by the production of antibodies that react with host tissues or immune effector cells that are autoreactive to endogenous peptides.	Autoimmune Disease,Disease, Autoimmune,Diseases, Autoimmune
D012216	Rheumatic Diseases	Disorders of connective tissue, especially the joints and related structures, characterized by inflammation, degeneration, or metabolic derangement.	Rheumatism,Disease, Rheumatic,Diseases, Rheumatic,Rheumatic Disease
D012595	Scleroderma, Systemic	A chronic multi-system disorder of CONNECTIVE TISSUE. It is characterized by SCLEROSIS in the SKIN, the LUNGS, the HEART, the GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT, the KIDNEYS, and the MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM. Other important features include diseased small BLOOD VESSELS and AUTOANTIBODIES. The disorder is named for its most prominent feature (hard skin), and classified into subsets by the extent of skin thickening: LIMITED SCLERODERMA and DIFFUSE SCLERODERMA.	Sclerosis, Systemic,Systemic Scleroderma,Systemic Sclerosis
D012859	Sjogren's Syndrome	Chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disease in which the salivary and lacrimal glands undergo progressive destruction by lymphocytes and plasma cells resulting in decreased production of saliva and tears. The primary form, often called sicca syndrome, involves both KERATOCONJUNCTIVITIS SICCA and XEROSTOMIA. The secondary form includes, in addition, the presence of a connective tissue disease, usually rheumatoid arthritis.	Sicca Syndrome,Sjogren Syndrome,Sjogrens Syndrome,Syndrome, Sicca,Syndrome, Sjogren's