OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of methotrexate (MTX) in combination with prednizone on cytokine levels, acute phase proteins and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBAR--an indicator of peroxidative damage to tissue lipids) in the blood of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to investigate their associations with clinical disease activity. METHODS: We measured blood concentrations of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin- 6 (IL-6), TBARs and classical clinical and laboratory indices of disease activity in 36 RA subjects before and after 3 and 6 month treatment with MTX and prednizone. Only RA subjects who stopped any disease-modifying anti rheumatic drugs treatment for last 3 months were included in the study. Baseline cytokine and TBARs levels were compared with those obtained with 20 healthy controls. RESULTS: Compared to controls RA subjects had elevated levels of circulating IL-1 beta (63.3 +/- 47.6 vs 13.7 +/- 7.8 pg/ml, p<0.01), IL-6 (147.2 +/- 76.5 vs 15.9 +/- 13.3 pg/ml, p<0.001) and TBARs (3.11 +/- 0.42 vs 1.34 +/- 0.45 nmol/1, p<0.001) concentrations. MTX in combination with prednizone improved patient clinical status that was accompanied by 1.96-, 1.25-, and 1.35-fold decrease in IL-1 beta, IL-6 and TBARs after 6 month treatment (p<0.001), respectively. Although, IL-1 and IL-6 revealed a few correlations with classical indices of disease activity no association was found between patient clinical status improvement and cytokine changes over 6 month treatment. CONCLUSIONS: MTX in combination with prednizone decreases blood levels of IL-1 beta and IL-6 and inhibits the intensity of free radical- mediated processes in RA subjects. Monitoring of plasma concentrations of these cytokines could not predict the treatment efficacy.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Comparison of treatment outcome in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with TFX- Polfa or gold salts after a one year follow up].

Thirty five patients with rheumatoid arthritis were given TFX Polfa, initially everyday in the intramuscular injections in the dose of 10 mg TFX protein for 60 days, followed by 1 injection of 10 mg TFX protein a week for 10 months. Other 30 patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with gold salts were used for comparison. Several clinical and laboratory tests were performed before the treatment and after 1 year. A one-year therapy significantly improved all clinical parameters in both groups. A significant increase in hemoglobin and erythrocyte count was noted in patients treated with TFX. A significant decrease in the markers of inflammation was seen. A percentage of both early and delayed E rosettes increased highly significantly. The obtained results suggest that TFX Polfa is efficient in these cases of the rheumatoid arthritis which cannot be treated with gold salts.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Effect of thymus extract TFX (Polfa) on hemoglobin level and peripheral blood erythrocyte count].

Calf thymus preparation (TFX-Polfa) was administered + to 25 patients with classic rheumatoid arthritis in the II and III phase of the disease. Only patients not tolerating gold or D-penicillamine because of allergy or other complications, were included into the study. TFX was administered in a daily dose of 10 mg TFX protein i.m. for 60 consecutive days, followed by the treatment in outpatient clinic for successive++ 10 months. Statistically significant increase in the hemoglobin concentration and erythrocyte counts was produced by both a 2-month intensive treatment and a 12-month of therapy with TFX.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents↗