Table 3.
Characteristic therapies for Behçet’s disease
| Treatment | Characteristic clinical manifestation focus | Immunosuppressive mechanisms of action |
|---|---|---|
| Apremilast | Mucocutaneous | Phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor |
| Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor-α | Ocular Neurological Cardiovascular Gastrointestinal |
Neutralize biological activity of TNF-α |
| Azathioprine | Articular Ocular Cardiovascular Mucocutaneous |
Inhibit synthesis of DNA and RNA and proliferation of T and B lymphocytes |
| Calcineurin inhibitors | Refractory | Inhibit activation and recruitment of T lymphocytes |
| Colchicine | Articular Mucocutaneous Ocular Neurological Cardiovascular Gastrointestinal |
Inhibit neutrophil function |
| Corticosteroids | Articular Mucocutaneous Ocular Neurological Cardiovascular Gastrointestinal |
Inhibit neutrophil function General immunosuppressive activity |
| Cyclosporine A (alkylating agents) | Neurological Ocular |
Inhibit lymphocyte function |
| Dapsone | Mucocutaneous | Antibacterial agent |
| Interferon-α | Ocular Neurological Cardiovascular Gastrointestinal |
Antiviral activity |
| Methotrexate | Mucocutaneous Neurological Ocular Articular |
Inhibit synthesis of DNA, RNA, and thymidylates |
| Pentoxifylline | Mucocutaneous | Inhibit synthesis of cytokines |
| Sulfasalazine | Articular Gastrointestinal |
General immunosuppressive activity |
| Thalidomide | Mucocutaneous Gastrointestinal |
Unidentified immunomodulatory activity |