ABSTRACT
The first therapeutic trial determined the safety of 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine by continuous intravenous infusion in three female patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis. One of the first patients to be treated in phase I studies was suffering from severe, life-threatening autoimmune hemolytic anemia, probably secondary to lupus erythematosus. Chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura is an autoimmune disorder manifested by autoantibody-induced platelet destruction. In chronic rheumatoid arthritis, the thickened synovial pannus consists mainly of macrophages and fibroblasts, with little evidence for T-lymphocyte activation. An immune pathogenesis for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis is indicated by the association of the disease with particular human leukocyte antigen types, by the dense lymphocyte infiltrates seen in both the skin and affected joints, and by beneficial effect of treatment with cyclosporin A and anti-CD4 antibodies. The role of activated lymphocytes, especially T cells, is recognized in the pathogenesis of both inflammatory bowel disease and primary sclerosing cholangitis.
