Table 4.
Cytokine-targeted therapies in pSS patients.
| Drug | Cytokines | Target | Dose | No of Pats | Phase of Study | Efficacy | Side Effects | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infliximab | TNF family | TNF-α | 3 mg/kg two weeks apart, three infusions | 16 | Phase II | Improvement in the visual analog score, fatigue, and dryness | No significant adverse events were seen | [270] |
| infliximab | TNF family | TNF-α | 3 infusions of 5 mg/kg drug or placebo two weeks apart | 103 | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study | No significant differences | Severe adverse events reported in the infliximab group | [271] |
| Etanercept | TNF family | TNF-α | 25 mg s.c. twice per week for 12 weeks | 15 | Pilot study | No increase in salivary or lacrimal gland function | Injection-site reactions occurring in about one-third of patients | [272,273] |
| IFN-α | IFN-α | 150 IU of interferon-α 3 times a day for 24 weeks | 12 | Double-blind placebo-controlled | Improvement in symptoms of xerostomia and xerophthalmia | Well tolerated | [274] | |
| IFN-α | 150 IU of interferon-α 3 times a day for 24 weeks | 497 | 2 Phase III clinical trials | Majority of symptoms improved | No significant adverse effect noted | [275] | ||
| Tofacitinib | IFN | 0.0003–0.005% daily | 327 | Phase 1/2 prospective, randomized | Better patient-reported ocular tolerability | Well tolerated | [276] | |
| Anakinra, a non-glycosylated recombinant version of the human IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-lRa | IL-1 | IL-1R blockade | 100 mg/day or a placebo for 4 weeks | 26 | A double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group study | No significant changes | Two serious adverse events (SAE) were observed | [277] |
| Tocilizumab | IL-6 | anti-IL-6 mAb | 8 mg/kg | 1 | Case study | EULAR SS activity Index was stabilized at 4, CT scan and pulmonary function normalized | Treatment was well tolerated | [278] |
This table displays the cytokine-targeted therapies for Sjögren’s syndrome reviewed in this article. The table displays cytokines and their target including drugs and their doses, number of patients, phase of study, efficacy, and side effects. Abbreviations: TNF Tumor necrosis factor, s.c. subcutaneous, IU International unit, IFN Interferon, IL-1 Interleukin-1, IL-1R Interleukin-1 receptor, and CT scan Computed tomography scan.