Clinico-pharmacological studies on depot tetracosactrin in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

✍ Scribed by Nuki, George ;Jasani, Mukundrai K. ;Wilson Downie, W. ;Whaley, Keith ;Carson Dick, W. ;Williamson, John ;Paterson, R. W. W. ;Boyle, Charles ;Watson Buchanan, W.

• Book ID: 104768883
• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1970
• Weight: 1015 KB
• Volume: 2
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0369-9498
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00420715

✦ Synopsis

A clinico-pharmacological study of depot tetracosaetrin in four fixed-dosage regimes was undertaken in 37 hospitalised patients with severe active rheumatoid arthritis. The regimes were: 0.25 mg daily (6 patients), 0.25 mg alternate days (6 patients), 0.5 mg daily (10 patients) and 0.5 mg alternate days (15 patients). Marked symptom relief was associated with a fall in the articular index, E.S.R. and serum globulins but also accompanied by a high incidence of steroid side effects including mooning of the face, weight gain, fluid retention, hirsutes, pigmentation and significant hypokalaemia in the higher dosage schedules despite oral potassium supplements. 1Vfaximal plasma l i -O H C S responses increased with duration of therapy in all groups, but parallel measurements of intraocular pressure appeared to be unrelated and did not rise significantly with treatment. It is suggested that to obtain optimum results in any individual, the dosage regime is likely to require adjustment according to the activity of the disease and susceptibility to side effects.