The long term efficacy and tolerability of sulphasalazine (SASP) in the treatment of 21 patients with active classical or definite rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were examined and compared with the effects of penicillamine in a similarly active group of RA patients. Nineteen of the 21 patients treated with SASP improved during the first 6 months as shown by significant changes in the clinical and laboratory variables. Clinical improvement was maintained for the remainder of the year. Improvement in laboratory variables was maintained at 9 months but showed some deterioration at 1 year. Six patients went into remission by the ARA criteria, and 16 were able to continue the drug at the end of 1 year. In addition SASP had a steroid-sparing effect in 4 of the patients on systemic steroids. No potentially dangerous side effects were encountered by the end of the first year, although 5 patients were withdrawn. Dyspepsia, nausea and abdominal discomfort were the most common side-effects, although rashes (3) and macrocytosis (2) also occurred. Eighteen of the 21 patients treated with penicillamine improved during 9 months, although there was some deterioration at 1 year. Eight patients were withdrawn because of side-effects - thrombocytopenia (5), nephrotic syndrome (1) and proteinuria (2). This study suggests that SASP has a disease modifying action maintained over a year and associated with low toxicity. It is a useful addition to the small number of second-line drugs with a possibly different mode of action.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02031270DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

year patients
12
long term
8
rheumatoid arthritis
8
patients
8
patients treated
8
improved months
8
laboratory variables
8
months deterioration
8
deterioration year
8
patients withdrawn
8

Similar Publications

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous condition with different risk factors, including family history. This study aimed to explore association between a family history of chronic airway disease and features and outcomes of COPD.

Methods: Participants were obtained from the RealDTC study between December 2016 and December 2022.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: The American Urological Association (AUA) recommends urology referral and surgery for undescended testicle (UDT) before 18 months of age, but it has been shown that many referrals occur later, influenced by social factors.

Objective: This study aims to identify key social factors that impact UDT referral timing and appropriateness.

Study Design: Pediatric patients referred to our institution for UDT management from 2018 to 2023 were analyzed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nasal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriage among hospitalized patients before and after COVID-19 pandemic in a regional hospital in taiwan.

J Microbiol Immunol Infect

March 2025

Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Chang Gung University School of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Background: Strict mask wearing and handwashing were implemented in hospital settings during COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan. To explore if nasal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage rate among inpatients in the hospital changed before and after COVID-19, we conducted this study.

Methods: Patients who were admitted to a regional hospital in central Taiwan during one week in 2012 and 2023, respectively, were enrolled.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Overcoming three-dimensional challenges through objective decomposition and virtual-digital design: A multidisciplinary case on hypodontia treatment.

J World Fed Orthod

March 2025

Assistant professor, State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases and Shaanxi Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China. Electronic address:

A 15-year-old female sought multidisciplinary treatment for hypodontia, three-dimensional problems, deep overbite, multiple occlusal interferences, and collapse of the occlusion. Through virtual-digital design with objective decomposition, this patient underwent five steps of orthodontic treatment under the guidelines of the principles: removal of occlusal restriction is a prerequisite; transverse problems are solved first; then sagittal problems; and vertical correction runs through the treatment. After orthodontic and prosthetic treatment, aesthetic appearance and functional occlusion were achieved.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Omega-3 index improves upon the pooled cohort equation in predicting risk for CVD.

J Clin Lipidol

February 2025

Fatty Acid Research Institute, Sioux Falls, SD, USA (Drs Tintle, Marchioli, and Harris); Department of Internal Medicine, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, SD, USA (Dr Harris).

Background: Accurate predictive tools are crucial for identifying patients at increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The Pooled Cohort Equation (PCE) is commonly used to predict 10-year risk for ASCVD, but its accuracy remains imperfect.

Objective: This study examined the extent to which the omega-3 index (O3I; the proportion of eicosapentaenoic acid+docosahexaenoic acid in erythrocyte membranes) improved the predictive capability of PCE.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!