Prospective two-year followup of recombinant interferon-gamma in rheumatoid arthritis.
Seventy patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) completing a 12-week multicenter double blind trial comparing recombinant human interferon-gamma (r-IFN-gamma) with placebo were enrolled in a longterm prospective protocol evaluating r-IFN-gamma in RA. Forty (57%) patients after 1 year and 26 (37%) patients after 2 years continued the drug with sustained clinical benefit. Over 2 years, r-IFN-gamma was discontinued in 44 patients (lack of efficacy--25, withdrawn consent--7, noncompliant--4, suspected adverse drug reactions--2, concurrent illness--6). Two years of treatment with r-IFN-gamma were well tolerated with sustained clinical benefit in some patients with few significant adverse drug reactions.
Cannon
G W
GW
Division of Rheumatology, VA Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT.
Emkey
R D
RD
Denes
A
A
Cohen
S A
SA
Saway
P A
PA
Wolfe
F
F
Jaffer
A M
AM
Weaver
A L
AL
Cogen
L
L
Gulinello
J
J
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007596:Joints / Q000503:physiopathology; D010146:Pain; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma