1.
No therapeutic effect of plasmin antagonist tranexamic acid in rheumatoid arthritis. A double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study
van der Laan WH, Ronday HK, TeKoppele JM, Breedveld FC, Huizinga TW, Verheijen JH
Clinical & Experimental Rheumatology. 2003;21((3)):359-62.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In the present study, the effects of plasmin antagonist tranexamic acid (TEA) on urinary pyridinoline excretion rates were investigated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. METHODS The study was set up as a double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study. Ten patients received tranexamic acid and 9 received placebo for 12 weeks. Urinary excretion rates of hydroxylysylpyridinoline (HP) and lysylpyridinoline (LP) were used as molecular markers of articular cartilage and bone degradation. In addition, clinical parameters of disease activity were assessed and CRP levels were measured. RESULTS Treatment with TEA did not reduce pyridinoline excretion, nor was any effect observed on clinical parameters of disease activity or on CRP levels. CONCLUSION The results of the present pilot study show no beneficial effect of TEA as adjuvant therapy in RA patients with respect to joint destruction or disease activity. RN 0 (Amino Acids). 63800-01-1 (pyridinoline). 6T84R30KC1 (Tranexamic Acid). EC 3-4-21-7 (Fibrinolysin).
2.
Recombinant human erythropoietin improves health-related quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and anaemia of chronic disease; utility measures correlate strongly with disease activity measures
Peeters HR, Jongen-Lavrencic M, Bakker CH, Vreugdenhil G, Breedveld FC, Swaak AJ
Rheumatology International. 1999;18((5-6):):201-6.
Abstract
Treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin (r-hu-Epo) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and anaemia of chronic disease (ACD) resulted in improvement of both anaemia and disease activity. Utilities represent a generic and comprehensive quality of life measure, capable of integrating domain-specific information into one overall value which a patient assigns to his state of health. Therefore, the effect of r-hu-Epo on quality of life was studied by measuring utilities, derived from the rating scale and standard gamble, in a 52-week placebo-controlled randomised double-blind study with r-hu-Epo in 70 patients with active RA and ACD. Furthermore, the relation between anaemia as assessed by haemoglobin levels (Hb), disease activity as assessed with the Disease Activity Score (DAS), and utilities was investigated. Compared to the placebo group, significant improvement of Hb (P < 0.001), DAS (P = 0.01) and rating scale utilities (P = 0.002), but not of standard gamble utilities, was observed in the Epo group. Rating scale utilities correlated strongly with DAS (r = -0.47, P < 0.01), Hb (r = 0.37, P < 0.01) and changes in both DAS (r = -0.74, P < 0.01) and Hb (r = 0.44, P < 0.01). Both DAS and Hb contributed significantly to the variance in rating scale utilities (21% and 3% respectively) and to changes in rating scale utilities (43% and 3% respectively). Standard gamble utilities correlated less well with clinical disease variables than rating scale utilities did. These results indicate, that r-hu-Epo improves utility-derived health-related quality of life, most probably by improving both disease activity and anaemia. Utilities, particularly rating scale utilities, correlated well with conventional disease activity variables and proved sensitive to change. Utilities may be a useful tool for investigating quality of life in RA-patients.
3.
The influence of a partially HLA-matched blood transfusion on the disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis
van der Horst-Bruinsma IE, Huizinga TW, Lagaay EM, Hazes JM, Breedveld FC, Schreuder GM, Tomson TA, Zwinderman AH, van Rood JJ, de Vries RR
Rheumatology. 1999;38((1):):53-8.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Based on the immunosuppressive effects of blood transfusions in organ transplantation, we determined the effect of a blood transfusion on disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHOD In this double-blind pilot study, 40 patients with active RA were randomly assigned to receive a HLA-DRB1-matched blood transfusion (n = 30) or placebo (n = 10). Disease activity was scored according to the American College of Rheumatology response criteria during 6 months of follow-up. RESULTS After 1 month and 6 months, respectively, 6 and 16% of patients fulfilled the response criteria in the blood transfusion group compared to none and 30%, respectively, in the placebo group. Following correction for the increase in haemoglobin levels, a majority of the response parameters in the blood transfusion group showed significant improvement compared to the placebo group. CONCLUSION A DRB1-matched blood transfusion shows improvement of symptoms in several RA patients. Additional studies are required to identify blood transfusion regimens that enhance the potential for therapeutic responses.