How it works

Hydroxychloroquine accumulation in human organelles also raise their pH, which inhibits antigen processing, prevents the alpha and beta chains of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II from dimerizing, inhibits antigen presentation of the cell, and reduces the inflammatory response. Elevated pH in the vesicles may alter the recycling of MHC complexes so that only the high affinity complexes are presented on the cell surface. Self peptides bind to MHC complexes with low affinity and so they will be less likely to be presented to autoimmune T cells. Hydroxychloroquine also reduces the release of cytokines like interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor, possibly through inhibition of Toll-like receptors.