Effects of glucosamine administration on patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
The purpose of this study was to examine whether glucosamine has an antirheumatic effect in a randomized placebo-controlled study. The subjects were 51 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients: 25 patients in the glucosamine group and 26 patients in the placebo group. Glucosamine hydrochloride at a daily dose of 1,500 mg and placebo, respectively, were administered for 12 weeks along with conventional medication. While significant improvement was not found in joint counts and in the rate of ACR20 responders, the face scale and a visual analogue scale pain were significantly in favor of the glucosamine group. ESR and CRP levels did not change, but serum MMP-3 levels decreased in the glucosamine group. Results of the patients' self-evaluations and the physicians' global evaluations indicated that the glucosamine treatment produced noticeable improvements in symptoms. Although glucosamine administration had no antirheumatic effect evaluated by conventional measures, it seemed to have some symptomatic effects on RA.
Nakamura
Hiroshi
H
Department of Joint Disease and Rheumatism, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5, Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan. nakamura@nms.ac.jp
Masuko
Kayo
K
Yudoh
Kazuo
K
Kato
Tomohiro
T
Kamada
Toshikazu
T
Kawahara
Tohru
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000188:drug therapy; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3; D005944:Glucosamine