Ciprofloxacin treatment does not influence course or relapse rate of reactive arthritis and anterior uveitis.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy of ciprofloxacin in the treatment of reactive arthritis (ReA) and anterior uveitis (AU) in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.


METHODS
Seventy-two patients participated in this study, 56 with ReA and 42 with AU (26 patients had both ReA and AU). Ciprofloxacin (750 mg twice a day) was administered for 12 months with a 12-month followup. End points of the study included time to disease relapse and measures of disease severity.


RESULTS
There was no difference between groups in time to disease relapse, joint inflammation, number of joints and enthesis involved in patients with ReA, or signs and symptoms of AU.


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term treatment of ReA and AU with ciprofloxacin made no statistically significant difference to the natural history of these diseases or their severity.
Wakefield
D
D
University of New South Wales and Sutherland Centre of Immunology, Sydney, Australia.
McCluskey
P
P
Verma
M
M
Aziz
K
K
Gatus
B
B
Carr
G
G
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016918:Arthritis, Reactive / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D000091402:Prohibitins; D012008:Recurrence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D014606:Uveitis, Anterior / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen; C000717331:PHB2 protein, human; D000091402:Prohibitins; D002939:Ciprofloxacin