title: The role of bromocriptine in the treatment of patients with active rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We decided to determine the effectiveness of oral bromocriptine in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who are in methotrexate (MTX) therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients receiving stable doses of MTX were randomized to one of two groups and received 3 months of double-blind bromocriptine (5 mg/day) or matching placebo. The moderate and major outcome measures were the proportion of patients with > 0.6 and > 1.2 improvement in RA based on the Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28) at 3 months. Safety measures included adverse events and laboratory assessments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On a background treatment of MTX, the percentage of patients with moderate and major DAS28 responses at 3 months in the bromocriptine group (73.8%/59.5%) was not significantly different from placebo (63.1%/31.6%). Side effects were typically mild and included mild nausea and sleep disturbance; we did not have any adverse events resulting in discontinuation of the study drug.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with active RA receiving stable doses of MTX, bromocriptine showed non-significant improvement in efficiency outcomes compared to placebo.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Ward, Alzahra Hospital, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mansour
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salesi
authors.forename: Somayeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sadeghihaddadzavareh
authors.forename: Peyman
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nasri
authors.forename: Nasrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Namdarigharaghani
authors.forename: Ziba
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Farajzadegan
authors.forename: Mehri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hajalikhani
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D001971:Bromocriptine; D008727:Methotrexate
keywords: bromocriptine; disease activity index; rheumatoid arthritis