title: A double-blind trial of high versus conventional dosages of gold salts for rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: In a double-blind study, patients were randomly selected for treatment using conventional doses (CD; 50 mg) or high doses (HD; 150 mg) of sodium aurothiomalate given weekly by injection. Twenty-three patients were assigned to the CD group and 24 to the HD group. Neither efficacy nor toxicity correlated with serum gold concentrations. Conventional doses were as efficacious as high doses with respect to both rapidity and degree of response. However, side effects were much more frequent and severe in the HD group. Thus there is no reason to recommend a 150 mg weekly dosage regimen.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000139:chemically induced; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D003875:Drug Eruptions; D005260:Female; D006046:Gold / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000139:chemically induced; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D006046:Gold