[Immunosuppressive drugs and autoimmune diseases]

Only a few immunosuppressive drugs can be used today. These are: corticosteroids, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, ciclosporine A, accessorily chlorambucil and methotrexate. They all have different actions on immune responses. The use of these drugs has completely changed the prognosis of autoimmune diseases such as systematic lupus erythematous, polyartheritis nodosa, Wegener's granulomatosis. Nevertheless treatment of other autoimmune diseases, such as type I insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or multiple sclerosis, has been inconclusive.