Mycophenolate Sodium Treatment in Patients With Primary Sjogren's Syndrome
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2007-09-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by
keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia. In addition, various extraglandular manifestations
may develop. Several immunomodulating agents have been attempted in the treatment of pSS
without achieving satisfactory results. Currently, there is no approved systemic treatment
for pSS.
Mycophenolic acid (MPA) is a selective inhibitor of inosine-monophosphate-dehydrogenase which
leads to inhibition of the de novo pathway of nucleotide synthesis. The antiproliferative
effect of MPA mainly affects activated T- and B-lymphocytes because the proliferation of
these cells is critically dependent on the de novo purine synthesis compared to other
eukaryotic cells. Since these lymphocytes have been suggested to play a pivotal role in the
inflammation and immunopathogenesis of pSS, mycophenolate-sodium might be a promising agent
in the treatment of pSS.
We perform a single-centre, open-label pilot trial with Mycophenolate sodium in pSS.