Rheumatoid arthritis, chrysotherapy

L13. Lorber, A., Cohen, R. L., Chang, C. C., and Anderson, H. E., Gold determination in biological fluids by atomic absorption spectrophotometry application to chrysotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Arthritia Rheum. II, 170-177... 

P9. Pole, D. J., Balazs, D. H., and Maserai, J., Plasma gold estimations in patients receiving chrysotherapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Med. J. Aust. U, 1181-1183 (1971). 

The complexes which have been used in chrysotherapy (the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis by gold drugs) are given in Table 9. Of these, (11), (12) and (18) are the most important. Complexes (11) and (12) were for many years dominant, but they must be administered parenterally, and the new drug (18) is unique in that it is therapeutically beneficial when administered orally.9-14 240... 

The complexes sodium aurothiomalate and sodium aurothioglucose provide effective therapy for rheumatoid arthritis but can produce unpleasant and toxic reactions because of the relatively large doses used (up to 250jumol (50 mg) per week). The resultant high concentrations of Au in plasma of patients receiving chrysotherapy may be measured easily by solvent extraction and FAAS. The main advantages of ETA—AAS are the direct analysis and the sensitivity to measure the various Au containing species in body fluids. 

After attempts with chrysotherapy and lobenzarit, a 24-year-old woman was given bucillamine 300 mg/day and a glucocorticoid, predonine, for rheumatoid arthritis. After 10 months she noticed bilateral breast... 

CorkiU MM, Kirkham BW, Chikanza IC, Gibson T, Panayi GS. Intramuscular depot methylprednisolone induction of chrysotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis a 24-week randomized controlled trial. Br J Rheumatol 1990 29(4) 274-9. 

Bretza J, Wells I, Novey HS. Association of IgE antibodies to sodium aurothiomalate and adverse reactions to chrysotherapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Am J Med 1983 74 945-950. 

Chrysotherapy was not readily accepted in the United States As late as 1934, Cecil reported that drugs played a relatively minor role in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and that his experience with gold compounds had never shown striking results (19) ... 

Conflicting reports of the benefit of chrysotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis motivated Sir Stanley Davidson of the Empire Rheumatism Council (Great Britain) to plan for a... 

Gold compounds were originally brought into clinical use accidentally for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (l.> However, controlled clinical trials ( ) confirmed their effectiveness, and gold therapy ("chrysotherapy ) is now considered to be as good as that using any other drug for the difficult cases, and one of the few that can lead to repair of joint tissue. 

Gold compounds have been used in medicine for centuries, an application known as chrysotherapy. Since 1940, however, complexes of gold have been used most successfully to treat arthritic disorders in humans and other animals. Au(I) compounds are currently the only class of pharmaceuticals known to halt the progression of rheumatoid arthritis. 

Chrysotherapy (gold therapy, see Figure 27) is employed in the treatment of progressive rheumatoid arthritis in patients who do not obtain satisfactory relief with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents. Anrothioglucose and gold sodinm thiomalate are absorbed erratically when given orally and hence are administered intramuscularly. 

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