Cyclophosphamide in systemic lupus erythematosus.

TLDR: The author has nevertheless acquired considerable experience in the use of this drug during the past 5 years and a description of this experience is now presented.

Abstract: Cyclophosphamide has been used in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (Seah, Wong, Chew, and Jayaratnam, 1966) and beneficial results have been claimed. In experimental studies, cyclophosphamide prevents the occurrence of autoimmune disease in NZB mice which are unique in that they uniformly have a form of glomerulonephritis resembling human lupus nephritis (Schwartz, 1969). The drug is known to affect both lymphocytic and plasmocytic cell lines in their pathological forms and it also prevents the proliferation of immunoblasts (Turk, 1967). It consistently appears to depress the white blood count before any damage occurs to platelets or red blood cells. It can be administered orally since its absorption is very predictable (Dubois, 1966). The controlled trial of a drug in a chronic but sometimes lethal disease such as SLE presents obvious difficulties and no such trial has ever been attempted. The author has nevertheless acquired considerable experience in the use of this drug during the past 5 years and a description of this experience is now presented.