Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine: Immunomodulatory effects in autoimmune diseases

Figure 2 Clinical applications of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for autoimmune diseases. This figure summarizes the clinical applications of chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) across various autoimmune diseases, including Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Sjögren's Syndrome (SS), antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), Systemic sclerosis, Inflammatory Myopathies (Dermatomyositis/Polymyositis), and Vasculitis. In SLE, CQ and HCQ reduce flares, cutaneous lesions, and lupus nephritis risk, in RA they are involved in pain relief, slowed joint damage, and synergy with methotrexate, in SS, they aid in the alleviation of sicca symptoms and extraglandular manifestations, and in APS, they prevent Thrombosis and improved pregnancy outcomes.