The effect of percutaneous dimethyl sulfoxide on cutaneous manifestations of systemic sclerosis.

DMSO exerts a palliative, therapeutic effect on healing of cutaneous ulcers in systemic sclerosis. The therapeutic response was variable and, therefore, the concentration of DMSO, as well as frequency and duration of treatments, should be individualized to obtain maximum healing effect with a minimum of adverse reactions. There was no evidence of ocular toxicity or other serious toxicity manifestations in this group of patients treated with topical DMSO for one year or longer.

The new nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Most physicians regard to newer short-acting anti-inflammatory drugs as a substitute for aspirin because they are less toxic. Although these drugs cannot induce remissions of rheumatoid arthritis, they do afford symptomatic relief and exert both a moderate algesic and anti-inflammatory effect in conditions like osteoarthritis, gout, pseudogout, and a variety of musculoskeletal syndromes. The many adverse reactions and toxic effects associated with these drugs are probably related to the inhibition of prostaglandin synthetase, which in turn reduces the biosynthesis of prostaglandins in widespread areas of the body.

Abnormalities of immunoregulation in progressive systemic sclerosis. Evidence for excess helper-cell function and altered B-cell function.

We investigated immunoregulatory function in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) in terms of in vitro IgM synthesis. Suppressor-cell function seems normal in regard to the ability of concanavalin A-treated cells to inhibit IgM synthesis by normal cells. At 4 x 10(5) T cells to 3 x 10(5) allogeneic normal B cells per milliliter, T cells from patients with PSS induce significantly more IgM synthesis by normal B cells than do normal T cells.

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs: new alternatives for rheumatic disease.

New antirheumatic drugs which are moderately effective clinically and less toxic than similarly acting, previously available drugs are believed to act by blocking certain mediators of inflammation. At present, there is no evidence that they influence the release of lysosomes, inhibit the action of complement, or modify immune mechanisms.