Shortly after the introduction of sulfa drugs, sulfapyridine was found to have unique therapeutic properties, unrelated to antibacterial activity. Later, sulfones were found to share the same properties. The disorders initially improved were dermatitis herpetiformis, pyoderma gangrenosum, subcorneal pustular dermatosis, acrodermatitis continua, impetigo herpetiformis and ulcerative colitis. They were also sometimes helpful in many other disorders. They are effective in select disorders characterized by edema followed by granulocytic inflammation or edema followed by vesicle or bullae formation. The sulfones work in low doses in leprosy and their mode of action is not fully understood. Several pieces of experimental information are available. It is proposed that these drugs are entering or influencing the protein moiety of glycosaminoglycans and decreasing tissue viscosity. This decreased tissue viscosity prevents edema and dilution of tissue fluid and decreases acute inflammation and vesicle and bullae formation.
BT - Medical hypotheses C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2182989?dopt=Abstract DA - 1990 Feb DO - 10.1016/0306-9877(90)90004-x IS - 2 J2 - Med. Hypotheses LA - eng N2 -Shortly after the introduction of sulfa drugs, sulfapyridine was found to have unique therapeutic properties, unrelated to antibacterial activity. Later, sulfones were found to share the same properties. The disorders initially improved were dermatitis herpetiformis, pyoderma gangrenosum, subcorneal pustular dermatosis, acrodermatitis continua, impetigo herpetiformis and ulcerative colitis. They were also sometimes helpful in many other disorders. They are effective in select disorders characterized by edema followed by granulocytic inflammation or edema followed by vesicle or bullae formation. The sulfones work in low doses in leprosy and their mode of action is not fully understood. Several pieces of experimental information are available. It is proposed that these drugs are entering or influencing the protein moiety of glycosaminoglycans and decreasing tissue viscosity. This decreased tissue viscosity prevents edema and dilution of tissue fluid and decreases acute inflammation and vesicle and bullae formation.
PY - 1990 SP - 99 EP - 103 T2 - Medical hypotheses TI - Sulfapyridine and sulfones decrease glycosaminoglycans viscosity in dermatitis herpetiformis, ulcerative colitis, and pyoderma gangrenosum. VL - 31 SN - 0306-9877 ER -