Toxicity of D -Penicillamine in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Editorials1 January 1980Toxicity of D-Penicillamine in Rheumatoid ArthritisWILLIAM M. O'BRIEN, M.D.WILLIAM M. O'BRIEN, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-92-1-120 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptThe studies of Isreal Jaffe early in the 1960s clearly indicated that D-penicillamine was highly effective in treating severe rheumatoid arthritis, particularly rheumatoid arthritis with visceral involvement. His initial observations were confirmed by a carefully controlled English multicenter trial (1). Efficacy of the drug at doses up to 1500 mg/d in treating severe rheumatoid arthritis is not in doubt. In rheumatoid arthritis penicillamine depolymerizes rheumatoid factor. This depolymerization is evidenced during therapy in the falling titer of rheumatoid factor, disappearance of rheumatoid nodules, and improvement in the manifestations of the arthritis. In the English trial (1) the number of the...References1. . Controlled trial of D-penicillamine in severe rheumatoid arthritis. Lancet 1973;1:275-80. MedlineGoogle Scholar2. HALVERSON P, KOZIN F, BERNHARD G, and GOLDMAN A. Toxicity of penicillamine: a serious limitation to therapy in rheumatoid arthritis. JAMA 1978;240:1870-1. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. JAFFE I. The technique of penicillamine administration in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1975;18:513-14. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. EPSTEIN O, DE VILLIERS D, JAIN S, POTTER B, THOMAS H, and SHERLOCK S. Reduction of immune complexes and immunoglobulins induced by D-penicillamine in primary biliary cirrhosis. N Engl J Med. 1979;300:274-8. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. ALDRICH M, KIM Y, and SANDERS D. 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To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: WILLIAM M. O'BRIEN, M.D.Affiliations: University of Virginia School of Medicine Charlottesville, Virginia PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byUse of short-term efficacy/toxicity tradeoffs to select second-line drugs in rheumatoid arthritis. A metaanalysis of published clinical trialsRheumatic DisordersSide-effects of penicillamine: some recent aspectsAntiinflammatory and Immunosuppressive Drugs in the Treatment of Rheumatoid ArthritisPrimary biliary cirrhosis, Sjogren's syndrome, and transverse myelitisPrimary biliary cirrhosis and lichen planusPenicillamine: Review and cutaneous manifestationsFatal Polymyositis in D-Penicillamine-Treated Rheumatoid ArthritisDEBORAH R. DOYLE, M.D., THOMAS L. McCURLEY, M.D., JOHN S. SERGENT, M.D.Orthopedic surgeryGold-Induced Autoimmune ReactionsClinical Trial of Penicillamine in Rheumatoid ArthritisBedeutung antinukleärer Faktoren während einer D-PenicillamintherapieDermatomyositis Induced by Penicillamine 1 January 1980Volume 92, Issue 1Page: 120-122KeywordsDrugsRheumatoid arthritisToxicity ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 January 1980 PDF downloadLoading ...