The influence of cigarette smoking on blood gold distribution during chrysotherapy.
Plasma and erythrocyte gold concentrations were measured in 35 patients taking gold sodium thiomalate (GSTM) for rheumatoid arthritis. In 6 patients with adverse effects attributable to gold therapy at the time of sampling, gold concentrations in plasma and erythrocyte fractions were no different from those without adverse effects. A significant difference was seen in the distribution of gold in the blood of cigarette smokers compared to non-smokers, with smokers having higher erythrocyte and lower plasma gold concentrations. A prospective study on 15 patients commencing treatment with GSTM showed that the higher concentrations of erythrocyte gold seen in smokers were achieved within the first 2 weeks of treatment.
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D006046:Gold / Q000097:blood*; D006052:Gold Sodium Thiomalate / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D012907:Smoking
D006052:Gold Sodium Thiomalate; D006046:Gold