Azathioprine in the treatment of pemphigus vulgaris

Treatment of pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus: experience with 71 patients over a 20 year period

“…Many patients are treated with daily steroid doses of 40 -80 mg 8,12 . A lack of prospective studies and of well controlled trials contribute to the dilemma over the best initial dose and maintenance theraphy 1,3 .…”

“…The terms activity, extent and severity are poorly defined; as a consequence, the evaluation of therapeutic results in published studies must be limited to an analysis of two basic variables: mortality and remission. The methodology used to define and study adverse effects is so wide and poorly described in most studies that no attempt have been made to analyze it 1,4,6 .…”

A Comparison of Oral Methylprednisolone Plus Azathioprine or Mycophenolate Mofetil for the Treatment of Pemphigus

“…12,14,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] Azathioprine has been used successfully for nearly 4 decades as an adjuvant in combination with corticosteroids. The active metabolite of azathioprine is mercaptopurine, which is intracellularly converted to 6-thionine acid.…”

Pemphigus Vulgaris; Frequency of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Patients on Immunosuppressive Drugs

“…Previous reports have demonstrated an association between several immune-mediated diseases and a subsequent risk of acquiring TB. 6,7,8,9 In these studies, possible mechanisms that may have led to increased TB risk includes the immune dysfunction that results from immune-mediated diseases and the effects of the immunosuppressant drugs that are used to treat them. 10 We can say that not only pemphigus vulgaris patients can develop tuberculosis if taking immunosuppressive therapy for longer period but it has been noticed in patients of Systemic lupus erythematosis and other rheumatological disorders on immunosuppressive therapy.…”