Immunosuppressive therapy

Introduction: Immunosuppressive therapy

Description of Immunosuppressive therapy

Immunosuppressive therapy: Therapy used to decrease the body's immune response, such as drugs given to prevent transplant rejection.
Source: National Institute of Health

Immunosuppressive therapy: Treatments

Immunosuppressive therapy (treatment): Another name for Immunosuppressive drugs.

Immunosuppressive therapy (treatment): Class of drugs that suppress the immune system.

Immunosuppressive therapy (treatment): Immunosuppressants are a general class of medications that suppress the immune system. They are often used against diseases of the immune system (e.g. autoimmune diseases) and are also used to prevent transplant rejection in organ transplants.

Immunosuppressants versus antihistamines: Immunosuppressants are not a type of antihistamine. Antihistamines are used to respond to an acute attack or over-response by the immune system. Immunosuppressants are usually longer-lasting drugs and work in a different manner, usually by interfering with the body's white blood cells (T-cells or B-cells).

Side effects of immunosuppresants: The main problem with immunosuppressants is that they suppress the immune system, which is what they are supposed to do. Unfortunately, modern immunosuppressants are not specific and suppress all of the immune system, leaving the patient vulnerable to a variety of opportunistic infections that would normally be prevented by the immune system. Patients taking immunosuppressant medications are thus often called immunocompromised (i.e. their immune system is compromised) and are at risk for numerous complications.

Immunosuppressive therapy (treatment): A drug given to suppress the natural responses of the body's immune system . Immunosuppressants are given to transplant patients to prevent organ rejection and to patients with autoimmune diseases like lupus. (Source: excerpt from Kidney Failure Glossary: NIDDK)

More information on treatment: Immunosuppressive drugs:

• Immunosuppressive drugs

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