EFFECTS OF CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE COMBINED WITH PREDNISONE ON INFLAMMATORY FACTORS, LYMPHOCYTE SUBSETS AND IMMUNE FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

Ping Xu¹, Cheng Xu^{2, *}

¹Department of Blood Rheumatology and Immunology, Lianshui County People's Hospital, Huai’an, PR China - ²Department of Rheumatism  Immunology, Huai’an Second People’s Hospital, The Affiliated Huaian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Huai’an, PR China

Objective: To investigate the effects of cyclophosphamide combined with prednisone on inflammatory factors, lymphocyte subsets, and immune function in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: A total of 94 patients with SLE were randomly divided into the study group (n=47) and the control group (n=47). There were no significant differences in gender, age or course of disease between the two groups (P>0.05). For 3 months, patients in the control group were given oral prednisone acetate, and patients in the study group were given intravenous prednisone acetate plus cyclophosphamide; additionally, adverse events during treatment were recorded for both groups. Interferon-α (IFN-α), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The levels of T helper 17 cells (Th17), regulatory T cells (Treg) and Th17/Treg were analyzed by flow cytometry, complement (C) 3, C4, immunoglobulin (Ig) M, IgG, IgA were detected by nephelometry.

Results: The total effective rate of the study group (93.62%) was significantly higher than that of the control group (76.60%) (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in IFN-α, IL-6, IL-10, Th17, Treg, Th17/Treg, C3, C4, IgM, IgG and IgA levels between the two groups before treatment (P>0.05). The levels of IFN-α, IL-6, IL-10, Th17, Th17/Treg, IgM, IgG and IgA in the two groups were significantly lower than those in the group before treatment (P<0.05). The levels of Treg, C3 and C4 were significantly higher than those in this group before treatment (P<0.05). The changes of factors in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (P>0.05).

Conclusion: Cyclophosphamide combined with prednisone has a positive effect on SLE: it effectively reduces serum inflammatory factors, improves lymphocyte levels, and inhibits immune function; additionally, it has a low incidence of adverse reactions.