title: No significant effects of sodium aurothiomalate on haem metabolism and mixed function oxygenase activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Animal studies suggest that gold compounds impair haem synthesis and increase haem degradation and, as a result, reduce activity of the hepatic haemoproteins cytochromes P-450. The aim of this study was to investigate whether intramuscular gold exerts similar effects in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Urinary porphyrin and precursor excretion, erythrocyte protoporphyrin, and antipyrine clearance, were measured in 6 patients with RA before and 10 weeks after commencement of intramuscular gold.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parameters of haem metabolism were unaffected by gold. While antipyrine clearance was not statistically changed after gold treatment, in 3 of the patients there was an average decrease in antipyrine clearance of 23%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further studies examining RA patients at different time points are required to investigate further the possibility of reduced hepatic drug metabolising activity during prolonged treatment with gold.
authors.affiliation: University of Manchester Rheumatic Diseases Centre, Hope Hospital, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Herrick
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hodgkiss
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weinkove
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Jayson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Houston
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000983:Antipyrine / Q000378:metabolism; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006052:Gold Sodium Thiomalate / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006418:Heme / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000652:urine; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D011166:Porphyrins; D011524:Protoporphyrins; D006052:Gold Sodium Thiomalate; D006418:Heme; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D000983:Antipyrine