[Cyclosporin-A therapy in autoimmune diseases]

The author surveys the action of cyclosporin, its advantages over conventional immunosuppressive drugs and its side effects. This paper lists comparative research showing autoimmune diseases in which cyclosporin has been used as well as data confined to disease causality. It touches on almost all autoimmune diseases, and details rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus disseminatus, and the treatment of kidney disease, giving a review of the ideal usage of cyclosporin during laboratory and clinical testing and the reasons for dosage modifications. In organ transplants, it is necessary to determine the serum level of cyclosporin. In autoimmun diseases cyclosporin's effectiveness and side effects cannot be determined on the basis of blood serum level. Dose modifications should be based on serum creatinine levels and on diastolic blood pressure. On the basis of the literature and on his own experience, the author emphasizes the potential for new perspectives in drug usage. This is particularly true for Sandimmun-Neoral. His group for example has been the first to use Cyclosporin A to treat Polyglandular autoimmune syndrome and Henoch Schönlein disease and has achieved excellent results.