Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0003864 (arthritis)
 69,039 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Twenty patients with polyarticular or systemic subtypes of juvenile chronic arthritis were primary treated with either Methylprednisolone (MP) pulses (group I) or i.v. Immunoglobulin (IG) (group II) in combination with Methotrexat and low dosages of Glucocorticosteroids. Clinical effects of treatment were rapid and excellent in both groups and also the regression of inflammatory activity. MP-pulses and also IG-treatment decrease significant the respective part of lymphocytes and T-cells. Significant is also the decrease of CD4 and CD8 cells and the normalization of the CD4/CD8 ratio in both groups. Different are the effects on B-cells and NK-cells between the two groups. Whereas MP-pulses decrease the number of B-cells. IG-treatment leads to high increase. The number of NK-cells increases after each single MP-pulse and decreases significant after IG-infusions.
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PMID:Therapeutical and immunological effects of methylprednisolone pulse therapy in comparison with intravenous immunoglobulin. Treatment in patients with juvenile chronic arthritis. 935 86

Methotrexate(MTX) is an antifolic agent and has been widely used for RA since early 1980s. Since 1999 when MTX was approved as an antirheumatic drug in Japan, patients taking MTX has been increasing and about sixty thousands patients are estimated to be taking MTX for the treatment of RA. The highest efficacy relative to toxicity of MTX is supported by the highest retention rate among current DMARDs. Therefore, most of rheumatologist places MTX as a golden standard of DMARD. Recent RCT data in European and North American countries showed that ACR 20 and 50 responses are ranging from 60 to 70% and from 40 to 50%, respectively. In these clinical trials, MTX was usually started at a dose of 7.5 mg weekly and then increased to 15-20 mg/week if the disease activity was still present since the clinical effect of MTX is related to the dose in the range 5 to 20 mg weekly. However, an upper limit of clinical dose of MTX (Rheumatrex) for RA is set to 8 mg weekly and this is a major problem because the majority of patients with active RA need higher doses for the suppression of arthritis. This matter needs an immediate solution. If MTX would be used aggressively for the early suppression of RA, informed consent regarding MTX dose and side effects including their earlier signs should be obtained, especially when patients are taking more than 8 mg weekly.
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PMID:[Methotrexate for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in Japan--much more still remains to be resolved]. 1251 Mar 58