[Results of a clinical trial of sulfasalazine in rheumatoid arthritis]

Abstract

The authors tested the therapeutic effectiveness and tolerance of the sulphonamide chemotherapeutic preparation sulfasalazine in 69 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. A one-year open clinical investigation was completed by 41 patients (59%) where in the course of treatment significant improvement of the majority of clinical and laboratory indicators of the activity of the rheumatic process was recorded. Treatment was terminated prematurely by 28 patients (41%) incl. 16 (23%) where treatment was discontinued because of undesirable side-effects which developed most frequently during the first months of treatment and were not very serious. X-ray evaluation of the joints of the hands after a one-year interval did not reveal deterioration of the X-ray findings in patients who completed the course of treatment.