Medications used in CTD
Medication | Mechanism of action |
Corticosteroids | |
Prednisolone | Anti-inflammatory |
Methylprednisolone | Anti-inflammatory |
DMARDs | |
Methotrexate | Dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor |
Hydroxchloroquine | Lysosomal membrane stablisation, reduces IL-1 and TNF synthesis |
Mycophenolate mofetil | Restricts T- and B-cell proliferation, acts on purine synthesising enzyme |
Azathioprine | Metabolised to 6-mercaptopurine |
Biologic therapy | |
Etanercept | Soluble TNF-α receptor |
Adalimumab | Monoclonal antibody to TNF-α |
Infliximab | Monoclonal antibody to TNF-α |
Canakinumab | Monoclonal antibody to IL-1 |
Rituximab | Monoclonal antibody to CD20 |
Abatacept | CTLA-4 fusion protein |
Cytotoxic agent | |
Cyclophosphamide | Acts on all phases of cell cycle; acts on both T- and B-cells |
DMARDs: disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs; CTLA-4: cytotoxic T-lymphocytes antigen 4; CD: cluster of differentiation.