A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the slow-acting symptom-modifying effects of colchicine in osteoarthritis of the knee: a preliminary report.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if colchicine added to nimesulide may have a beneficial effect on osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.


METHODS
Colchicine 0.5 mg twice daily or placebo was added to nimesulide (a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug) in 36 patients with OA of the knee in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial over a 5-month period.


RESULTS
The 30% improvement rate at 20 weeks was higher in the colchicine group than in the control group receiving placebo, as measured by total Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis scores (57.9% versus 23.5%) and visual analog scale for index knee pain (52.6% versus 17.6%) (primary measures of response). The significance persisted on combined analysis by Mantel-Haenszel test (P = 0.062). Comparison of means also showed significant improvement in the colchicine group versus the control group in a multivariate analysis performed using T(2) test (P = 0.0115).


CONCLUSIONS
Among patients with OA of the knee, the group receiving colchicine plus nimesulide exhibited significantly greater symptomatic benefit at 20 weeks than did the control group receiving nimesulide plus placebo.
Das
Siddharth K
SK
King George's Medical College, Lucknow, India. das_lko@yahoo.com
Ramakrishnan
S
S
Mishra
Kavita
K
Srivastava
Ragini
R
Agarwal
G G
GG
Singh
Ragini
R
Sircar
A R
AR
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003078:Colchicine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006074:Gout Suppressants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D006074:Gout Suppressants; D013449:Sulfonamides; D003078:Colchicine; C012655:nimesulide