title: Does second-line therapy affect the radiological progression of rheumatoid arthritis?
abstract: The effect of 'second-line' drugs on radiological progression in rheumatoid arthritis is not clear, and previous studies have yielded contradictory results. Sixty-seven patients with rheumatoid arthritis have been followed up clinically and radiologically for approximately 2 years (26 patients were receiving intramuscular gold, 21 penicillamine, 10 levamisole, and there were 10 controls who had consistently refused second-line therapy). Patients on gold and penicillamine showed improvement in erythrocyte sedimentation rate and haemoglobin over 2 years which was not seen in levamisole and control patients, but hand radiograph scores in all 4 groups showed statistically significant deterioration. There was a trend towards slowing of the rate of erosion in the gold and penicillamine groups in comparison with controls, but healing of erosions was extremely unusual.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006052:Gold Sodium Thiomalate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006225:Hand / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007978:Levamisole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010396:Penicillamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011859:Radiography
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D006052:Gold Sodium Thiomalate; D007978:Levamisole; D010396:Penicillamine