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L Ejstrup

Publications and source records attributed to L Ejstrup.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Limited effect of sulphasalazine treatment in reactive arthritis. A randomised double blind placebo controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of sulphasalazine in reactive arthritis. METHODS: Double blind placebo controlled trial of six months duration comparing sulphasalazine 2-3 g per day (n = 37) with matching placebo (n = 42) in adults with active reactive arthritis (age 19-57 years, median 34). Treatment response was evaluated once a month by changes in erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), pain, peripheral arthritis, tender iliosacral joints, entesopathy, extra-articular manifestations, and working ability. RESULTS: 15 patients in the sulphasalazine group and eight in the placebo group withdrew from the study prematurely. Adverse events, primarily gastrointestinal, were the main reason for withdrawal in the actively treated group. Intention-to-treat analyses showed significant improvements over time in both groups in ESR, pain, and number of swollen joints (P < 0.01). Number of days on sick leave decreased significantly in the sulphasalazine group only (P < 0.01). No significant differences between the two groups were present after six months. Among the patients completing the trial according to protocol, persistent complete remission had occurred within two months in five (23%) of the actively treated, but in no placebo treated patients (P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Sulphasalazine seemed to improve only the very short term outcome of reactive arthritis. The possible beneficial effect of the drug should also be weighed against the risk of adverse events. Although these were mainly mild, almost 25% of the patients in the actively treated group gave up treatment for this reason.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

The humoral immune response to Chlamydia trachomatis in patients with acute reactive arthritis.

Sera from 25 patients with clinical signs of reactive arthritis were analysed for antibodies against Chlamydia trachomatis by immunoblotting. Purified elementary bodies, purified Chlamydia outer membrane complexes, and purified recombinant subcomponents were used as antigens. Antibodies against C. trachomatis cysteine rich outer membrane protein 2 (Omp2) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were detected in 10 patients. Thus 40% of the patients presented antibodies specific for C. trachomatis. There was no correlation between acute reactive arthritis and antibodies to heat-shock proteins GroEL, GroES and DnaK.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1992

Intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy in ankylosing spondylitis.

The aim of this double-blind study was to compare the effect of high-dose (1000 mg) and low-dose (375 mg) methylprednisolone pulse therapy administered intravenously once daily for three consecutive days, in active ankylosing spondylitis. Seventeen patients with active ankylosing spondylitis were randomly allocated to high-dose (8 patients) or low-dose (9 patients) regimen. Although there was no placebo group in this study, it is our impression that in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis, both high-dose (1000 mg) and low-dose (375 mg) methylprednisolone pulse therapy given on three consecutive days, is effective as regards pain relief and improvement in spinal mobility. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups, though there was a trend towards the high dose yielding a greater and longer lasting improvement. No serious adverse reactions were observed.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

A randomised double-blind multicentre trial comparing tenoxicam and ketoprofen in osteoarthritis.

A double-blind multicentre study was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of tenoxicam and ketoprofen in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). The study comprised 307 patients and the treatment period was 12 weeks. One-hundred and fifty-five patients received 20 mg tenoxicam once-daily and 152 patients received 100 mg ketoprofen b.i.d. Seventy-seven patients were prematurely withdrawn; 32 patients in the tenoxicam group and 45 in the ketoprofen group (p less than 0.05). There were only small insignificant differences in the efficacy parameters with the exception that significantly more patients in the tenoxicam group took paracetamol tablets during treatment. Adverse events developed in 29.0% of the patients on tenoxicam and in 47.3% of the patients on ketoprofen, this difference was statistically significant (p less than 0.05). The adverse events were predominantly from the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system. No serious side-effects occurred and the laboratory parameters showed no clinically relevant changes. The investigator's overall impression of treatment showed no significant difference between groups. Excellent or good results were judged in 55.2% of the patients on tenoxicam and in 62.1% on ketoprofen (p greater than 0.05). Tenoxicam appears to have a reasonable balance between efficacy and side-effects in the treatment of OA.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Steroids reduce complement activation in rheumatoid arthritis.

Patients with seropositive, classical rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with severe active disease have raised plasma concentrations of the complement C3 split product C3d. These values display little diurnal or circadian variation in the individual patient. During a 3-month period the variation was within 10 mU/l in 45 patients (ref. range 20-52 mU/l, RA patients up to 120 mU/l.) Six RA patients were treated with steroids on clinical indication, and the plasma C3d, Ritchie index and pain score before and during the treatment (30 mg prednisolone per day) were measured. The variables showed a steady decrease during the next 14 days. Plasma C3d fell 2/3 of the total fall within the first 48 hours, while the serum total haemolytic complement activity, complement C3 and C4 did not change significantly. This shows that the anti-inflammatory effect of steroids is accompanied by a reduction of complement activation.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1985

Intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy in ankylosing spondylitis.

For several years the medical treatment of active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has been NSAID because gold, penicillamine, antimalarials and steroids have been without efficacy. In 1981, Mintz et al reported that methylprednisolone pulse therapy (MPPT) had an excellent effect in patients with AS. Seven patients with active AS and insufficient efficacy of NSAID for three months were treated with one gram methylprednisolone daily given intravenously for three successive days. Mobility and pain were recorded before, during, and after treatment. Significant pain relief and improvement of mobility of the spine for at least six weeks were clearly demonstrated (p less than 0.05). Finger to floor distance and chin manubrium distance improved significantly for at least six months (p less than 0.05). We conclude that intravenous MPPT is a useful treatment in patients with active AS when NSAID is insufficient.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Controlled release indomethacin (Indotard). Clinical trial in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

In a double-blind, crossover multicentre trial the effect on morning stiffness and occurrence of side effects of a controlled-release indomethacin preparation, Indotard, was compared with a conventional preparation, Indocid. 30 Patients between 38 and 74 years of age--six from each centre--underwent the investigation: A 4-day escalating period and 2 X 7 days' treatment. In the average figures, no difference in effect or side effects could be seen between Indotard 50 mg given twice and Indocid 25 mg given four times daily. There was, however, a marked preference among the younger (less than 62 years) for the controlled-release formulation and a preference among the older for the conventional preparation.

Adult↗