title: Adjuvant drugs in autoimmune bullous diseases, efficacy versus safety: Facts and controversies.
abstract: During the last decades, the conventional therapy for autoimmune blistering diseases has been high-dose, long-term systemic corticosteroid and immunosuppressive agents or adjuvant drugs. Long-term, high-dose steroid therapy can result in serious adverse effects. The rationale for using adjuvant drugs is that concerns reducing the need for corticosteroids, and hence, their side effects, or it may result in better control of the disease, or both. Immunosuppressive agents are not free of adverse effects, however. Prolonged immune suppression may account for high rates of morbidity, disability, and possible death. There is no consensus about the first-choice adjuvant drug for the management of blistering autoimmune diseases. This contribution evaluates six adjuvant drugs-cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, intravenous immunoglobulin, and rituximab-and discusses the choice of a "winning drug" that is effective and safe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Second University of Naples, Via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy. ada.loschiavo@unina2.it
authors.forename: Ada Lo
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Schiavo
authors.forename: Rosa Valentina
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Puca
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ruocco
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruocco
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010392:Pemphigus / Q000188:drug therapy; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D000069283:Rituximab; D012872:Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D000069283:Rituximab; D016572:Cyclosporine; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid; D001379:Azathioprine