Controlled multicenter trial of tiopronin and d-penicillamine for rheumatoid arthritis.
Fifty-seven patients took part in a controlled double-blind trial between tiopronin and D-penicillamine as basic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Thirty-nine (19 receiving tiopronin, 20 receiving D-penicillamine) completed the trial after 1 year. Both drugs resulted in a decrease of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, Ritchie index, and Lee index and in a sparing effect on symptomatic antiinflammatory therapy. Improvement in these variables was statistically highly significant at any interval with tiopronin, but was sometimes less or not at all significant with D-penicillamine. Nevertheless, the difference in effects between the 2 drugs never reached statistical significance. Six patients receiving tiopronin and 6 receiving D-penicillamine were taken out of the experiment because of side effects.
D000368:Aged; D000603:Amino Acids, Sulfur / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010396:Penicillamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011859:Radiography; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000032:analysis; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D008625:Tiopronin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000603:Amino Acids, Sulfur; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D003300:Copper; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor; D008625:Tiopronin; D007501:Iron; D010396:Penicillamine