ABSTRACT
Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are considered to be T-cell-mediated and might therefore be expected to respond to therapies directed against the T lymphocyte. Previous therapies with lymphapheresis, total nodal irradiation, and thoracic duct drainage all showed clinical benefit, but responses were not maintained and the therapies were too toxic for routine use. More recently, cyclosporine (a fungal metabolite with a specific action against T cells) has been shown to be an effective therapy in autoimmune disease.
