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REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Disorders : Autoimmune Disorders
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1560398
This article is part of the Research Topic Autoimmune Diseases: from molecular mechanisms to therapy development View all 4 articles
Therapeutic Approaches for SAPHO Syndrome from the Perspective of Pathogenesis: A Review of the Literature
Provisionally accepted
Yunuo Wang 1 Mengjiao Gu 1 Zixiang Zheng 1
Jiang Hai Xu 2
Luyao Han 1 Hanjing Huang 1
YuanHao Wu 1*
Chen Li 3*- 1 First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- 2 School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicines, Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China
- 3 Department of Dermatology, Tianjin Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, Tianjin, China
Synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis and osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome is a rare autoinflammatory disease characterized by cutaneous manifestations and osteoarticular damage.The pathogenesis of SAPHO syndrome has not yet been elucidated, but studies have shown that the abnormal bone metabolism of patients with SAPHO syndrome is most likely due to localized infections that induce immune disorders in the body. Although no standardized treatment protocols exist, based on existing case studies and data from open studies, we propose that the treatment of SAPHO syndrome can be categorized into three areas according to the symptomatic manifestations of the disease: (1) control of focal infections using antibiotics and tonsillectomy; (2) administration of DMARDs to manage disease progression; and (3) bone remodeling therapy with bisphosphonates to address abnormal bone metabolism. Furthermore, a comprehensive treatment approach tailored to the clinical manifestations of the patient can effectively alleviate symptoms and enhance quality of life.
Keywords: SAPHO syndrome, Autoimmunity, Infection, immune abnormality, bone metabolism, review Abbreviations:SAPHO, Synovitis, Acne, Pustulosis, Hyperostosis, and Osteitis, DMARDs, Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs, IL-1β, interleukin-1β
Received: 14 Jan 2025; Accepted: 19 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Gu, Zheng, Xu, Han, Huang, Wu and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
YuanHao Wu, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
Chen Li, Department of Dermatology, Tianjin Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, Tianjin, 300120, China
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