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Review Open Access

Hydroxychloroquine: A double‑edged sword (Review)

  • Authors:
    • Rongxiu Huo
    • Chengcheng Wei
    • Yanting Yang
    • Jinying Lin
    • Xinxiang Huang
  • View Affiliations / Copyright

    Affiliations: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, The People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region 530016, P.R. China
    Copyright: © Huo et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.
  • Article Number: 102
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    Published online on: February 19, 2025
       https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2025.13467
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Abstract

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is an antimalarial drug that has historically been used to treat and prevent malaria. However, its mechanism of action has not yet been fully elucidated. HCQ affects various cellular and molecular pathways through different mechanisms. HCQ has also been shown to be a disease‑improving agent for the treatment of rheumatic diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, antiphospholipid syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis and primary Sjögren's syndrome. Although generally considered safe, adverse reactions have been reported with the use of HCQ and clinicians should carefully monitor patients with rheumatism when prescribing these drugs. The purpose of the present review is to strengthen the clinical use of HCQ for autoimmune diseases while highlighting the adverse effects that may occur during treatment.
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Copy and paste a formatted citation
Spandidos Publications style
Huo R, Wei C, Yang Y, Lin J and Huang X: Hydroxychloroquine: A double‑edged sword (Review). Mol Med Rep 31: 102, 2025.
APA
Huo, R., Wei, C., Yang, Y., Lin, J., & Huang, X. (2025). Hydroxychloroquine: A double‑edged sword (Review). Molecular Medicine Reports, 31, 102. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2025.13467
MLA
Huo, R., Wei, C., Yang, Y., Lin, J., Huang, X."Hydroxychloroquine: A double‑edged sword (Review)". Molecular Medicine Reports 31.4 (2025): 102.
Chicago
Huo, R., Wei, C., Yang, Y., Lin, J., Huang, X."Hydroxychloroquine: A double‑edged sword (Review)". Molecular Medicine Reports 31, no. 4 (2025): 102. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2025.13467
Copy and paste a formatted citation
x
Spandidos Publications style
Huo R, Wei C, Yang Y, Lin J and Huang X: Hydroxychloroquine: A double‑edged sword (Review). Mol Med Rep 31: 102, 2025.
APA
Huo, R., Wei, C., Yang, Y., Lin, J., & Huang, X. (2025). Hydroxychloroquine: A double‑edged sword (Review). Molecular Medicine Reports, 31, 102. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2025.13467
MLA
Huo, R., Wei, C., Yang, Y., Lin, J., Huang, X."Hydroxychloroquine: A double‑edged sword (Review)". Molecular Medicine Reports 31.4 (2025): 102.
Chicago
Huo, R., Wei, C., Yang, Y., Lin, J., Huang, X."Hydroxychloroquine: A double‑edged sword (Review)". Molecular Medicine Reports 31, no. 4 (2025): 102. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2025.13467
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