| Disease | CHRONIC GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE (CGVHD) IS A COMPLEX CLINICAL ENTITY WITH VARIOUS TARGET ORGANS, INCLUDING THE SALIVARY GLANDS. ORAL PILOCARPINE (SALAGEN), 30 MG/DAY, CAN AMELIORATE CGVHD-INDUCED XEROSTOMIA AND IMPROVE THE FLOW RATE FROM THE
MAJOR SALIVARY GLANDS. THE PURPOSE HERE WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF THIS DRUG AT 30 MG/DAY ON SALIVARY BIOCHEMICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL COMPOSITION IN CGVHD PATIENTS. TWO WEEKS OF ORAL PILOCARPINE, AT 30 MG/DAY, RESULTED IN NORMALIZATION OF THE
ALTERED SALIVARY BIOCHEMICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL COMPOSITION IN THE CGVHD PATIENTS. ORAL PILOCARPINE WAS ABLE TO REDUCE AND NORMALISE THE ELEVATED NA, MG, TOTAL PROTEIN, ALBUMIN, EGF, IGG AND IGA CONCENTRATIONS IN BOTH RESTING AND STIMULATED
CONDITIONS. THE ABILITY OF ORAL PILOCARPINE TO NORMALISE AND REVERSE THE SALIVARY BIOCHEMICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS INDUCED BY CGVHD PARALLELSITS KNOWN STIMULATORY EFFECT ON SALIVARY FLOW RATES. AS THE BIOCHEMICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL
COMPOSITION OF SALIVA PROVIDES ITS PROTECTIVE ANTIMICROBIAL CHARACTERISTICS, THE ABILITY OF PILOCARPINE TO ABROGATE CGVHD SALIVARY GLAND ABNORMALITIES MAY BE OF CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE. |