Immunosuppressive therapy

Publisher Summary Immunological tissue damage is a common cause of acute and chronic disease in man. Immune reactions also hinder transplantation of bone marrow or solid organs between histoincompatible individuals. As immunological disease and transplantation reactions often result in severe, occasionally life-threatening conditions, it is important to provide immunosuppressive therapy to prevent or decrease the tissue damage. Despite the fact that such treatment has been used for over 30 years, knowledge about the mode of function of immunosuppressive drugs and the risks of long-term treatment is incomplete. Clear indications for immunosuppressive therapy are present only in transplant patients and in a few immunological diseases. Ionizing irradiation and immunosuppressive agents are limited in their applicability because of their nonspecific effects on the immune system and other organs introducing the risk of severe side effects. Despite its deficiencies, nonspecific immunosuppression is an important complement to other treatment and, in many instances, the only efficient therapy the patient can be offered. The ideal immunosuppressive treatment is directed only against the immunological reaction causing the disease. Such immunologically specific immunosuppression has so far only been successful in Rh prophylaxis.