Drugs That Alter Immune System Response

Treating Autoimmune and Allergy Illness and Disease

Nov 5, 2009

Medications that modify or limit the body's own immune system response are beneficial in treating autoimmune and allergy diseases as well as transplant patients.

The immune system provides humoral or antibody and cell-mediated immunity against foreign pathogens or germs such as bacteria, fungi, virus and parasites as well as malignant growths or cancer in the body. However, it can also act against the body itself in autoimmune diseases and in sensitivities such as allergy illnesses. A variety of immune cells including T and B lymphocytes and antigen presenting cells function to organize the response of the body to a particular attack from outside or inside the body.

What Are Immunomodulatory Drugs?

Drugs that act against the body’s own immune cells benefit in the treatment of a number of pathological disease conditions that involve over activity or imbalance of the immune system.

The autoimmune disorder rheumatoid arthritis is a painful and chronic inflammatory disease associated with swollen and stiff joints and cartilage and bone erosion. The symptoms of the disease are caused by an inflamed synovial membrane covering the joints, the entry of T lymphocytes and macrophages and deposition of rheumatoid factor and immune complexes. The production of a range of mediators including substances called prostaglandins results in pain and swelling of the synovium and ultimately give rise to bone and cartilage destruction.

A variety of drugs are used in the treatment of autoimmune disease and include immunosuppressants such as ciclosporin, glucocorticosteroids, disease modifying anti-arthritic drugs such as D-penicillamine, sulfasalazine and hydroxychloroquine, cytotoxic agents such as azathioprine, methotrexate and cyclophosphamide and biological agents which include monoclonal antibodies against tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin (IL-1).

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Are Used To Treat Inflammation

These NSAIDs include ibuprofen, aspirin, indometacin and COX2 selective such as celecoxib. NSAIDs inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandins, which cause pain and swelling in rheumatoid arthritis. These drugs only provide pain and swelling relief and do not prevent destruction of cartilage and bone.

How Do Steroids Treat Autoimmune and Allergy Disorders?

Glucosteroids such as prednisolone or prednisone are effective in controlling inflammation and may also have disease modifying effects. They do have serious side effects such as osteoporosis when used for long periods of time. Treatment with injections of glucocorticoid into the joints such as triamcinolone acetonide can limit side effects.

The steroid drug Ciclosporin is used to prevent transplant rejection by a selective action on T lymphocytes and can also be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Anti-Arthritis Medications

Drugs such as methotrexate (antifolate), cyclosphosphamide (alkylates DNA) and azathioprine affect both T and B cell proliferation and immune responses.

Douglas, Laura: Immunomodulatory Medications. Grayhill Press, New York, NY 2003

The copyright of the article Drugs That Alter Immune System Response in Allergies is owned by Noreen Kassem. Permission to republish Drugs That Alter Immune System Response in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.