Faulty logic?

[Jontie]

I understand that prednisolone reduces inflammation by suppressing the immune system. Does it follow, therefore, that if symptoms are reduced by pred, the cause of those symptoms is an autoimmune disorder (like PMR); as opposed to inflammation caused by some sort of infection?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I don't think it is the suppression of the immune system that reduces the inflammation. It just so happens that corticosteroids ALSO suppress the immune system in other ways. However - as far as I know, pred will reduce inflammation due to infection too, that is how it is often used for patients which pneumonia for example.

It's a heavy read but this is a summary of the knowledge in 2006 although I know it is felt they don't really know where the pred works in PMR.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

I also don't think that pred will help the inflammation caused by all autoimmune disorders - it will depend on the mechanism that is the cause of that inflammation and not all of them are affected by pred. The suppression of the immune system may be an added benefit though by possibly reducing the cause of the inflammation in the first place.