title: Combination of sulphasalazine and methotrexate versus the single components in early rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized, controlled, double-blind, 52 week clinical trial.
abstract: To compare the efficacy of sulphasalazine, methotrexate, and the combination of both in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), not treated with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs previously, we conducted a double-blind, double-dummy, controlled, clinical trial. One hundred and five patients with active, early RA, rheumatoid factor and/or HLA DR1/4 positive were randomized between sulphasalazine (SSZ) 2000 (maximum 3000) mg daily, or methotrexate (MTX) 7.5 (maximum 15) mg weekly, or the combination (COMBI) of both, and were followed up by a single observer for 52 weeks. The mean change over time per patient, including all visits, in Disease Activity Score (DAS) was: SSZ: -1.6 (95% CI -2.0 to -1.2); MTX: -1.7 (-2.0 to -1.4); COMBI: -1.9 (-2.2 to -1.6); the difference week 0-week 52 (SSZ, MTX, COMBI respectively); DAS: -1.8, -2.0, -2.3, Ritchie articular index: -9.2, -9.5, -10.6, swollen joints: -9.2, -12.4, -14.3, erythrocyte sedimentation rate: -17, -21, -28. Nausea occurred significantly more in the COMBI group. The numbers of drop-outs due to toxicity were SSZ 9, MTX 2, COMBI 5. In conclusion, there were no significant differences in efficacy between combination and single therapy, only a modest trend favouring COMBI. The results of MTX and SSZ were very comparable. Nausea occurred more often in the COMBI group: the number of withdrawals due to adverse events did not differ significantly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Haagsma
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: van Riel
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: van de Putte
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D015798:HLA-DR1 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D015804:HLA-DR4 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000032:analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012460:Sulfasalazine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D015798:HLA-DR1 Antigen; D015804:HLA-DR4 Antigen; D012460:Sulfasalazine; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor; D008727:Methotrexate