RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Cyclosporin treatment for rheumatoid arthritis: a placebo controlled, double blind, multicentre study.
JF Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
JO Ann Rheum Dis
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and European League Against Rheumatism
SP 726
OP 731
DO 10.1136/ard.45.9.726
VO 45
IS 9
A1 A W van Rijthoven
A1 B A Dijkmans
A1 H S Goei The
A1 J Hermans
A1 Z L Montnor-Beckers
A1 P C Jacobs
A1 A Cats
YR 1986
UL http://ard.bmj.com/content/45/9/726.abstract
AB The efficacy and safety of cyclosporin for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were assessed in a six month double blind, placebo controlled, multicentre study. The initial dosage of the drug was 10 mg/kg daily for two months. There were many discontinuations in both the cyclosporin group (eight out of 17) and the placebo group (six out of 19). Of the patients who completed the six months of therapy, those who had received cyclosporin showed a significant improvement in the number of swollen joints, the Ritchie articular index, and pain at active movement and at rest, compared not only with their condition at the start of the study, but also with the end results of the placebo group. Major adverse reactions to the drug were gastrointestinal disturbances and nephrotoxicity, which were probably due to the relatively high dosages of cyclosporin given in combination with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.