TY - JOUR
T1 - Methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis
T2 - A prospective study in Israeli patients with immunogenetic correlations
AU - Tishler, Moshe
AU - Caspi, Dan
AU - Rosenbach, Tal O.
AU - Fishel, Beno
AU - Wigler, Irena
AU - Segal, Rafael
AU - Gazit, Ephraim
AU - Yaron, Michael
PY - 1988
Y1 - 1988
N2 - In a prospective open study 44 Israeli patients with rheumatoid arthritis were treated with weekly low dose methotrexate (MTX) for up to 36 months. Nine patients withdrew from the study: six because of side effects and three due to inefficacy. One patient died of septicaemia following septic arthritis. Significant improvement, graded by Ritchie articular index, grip strength, physician's global assessment, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and platelet counts, was noticed in response to treatment. Seronegative patients had a better clinical response. Transient gastrointestinal symptoms were common and correlated with increases of serum aspartate transaminase (AST). HLA-DR1 and DR7 were significantly associated with increased serum AST concentrations.
AB - In a prospective open study 44 Israeli patients with rheumatoid arthritis were treated with weekly low dose methotrexate (MTX) for up to 36 months. Nine patients withdrew from the study: six because of side effects and three due to inefficacy. One patient died of septicaemia following septic arthritis. Significant improvement, graded by Ritchie articular index, grip strength, physician's global assessment, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and platelet counts, was noticed in response to treatment. Seronegative patients had a better clinical response. Transient gastrointestinal symptoms were common and correlated with increases of serum aspartate transaminase (AST). HLA-DR1 and DR7 were significantly associated with increased serum AST concentrations.
KW - HLA antigens
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0023713533&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/ard.47.8.654
DO - 10.1136/ard.47.8.654
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AN - SCOPUS:0023713533
SN - 0003-4967
VL - 47
SP - 654
EP - 659
JO - Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
JF - Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
IS - 8
ER -