OBJECTIVE To study the effects of sulphasalazine (SASP) on the systemic and mucosal humoral immune systems in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS Serum concentrations of interleukin 6 (IL-6), class and subclass specific IgG, IgA and IgM, IgA and IgG antigliadin antibodies and rheumatoid factors (RF) of IgG, IgA (including IgA1 and IgA2 subclasses) and IgM isotypes were measured b...

azathiprine or 6-mercaptopurine: evidence for a potentially serious drug interaction [Letter]. Gastroenterology 1999;116:1505–6. 5. Szumlanski CL, Weinshilboum RM. Sulphasalazine inhibition of thiopurine methyltransferase: possible mechanism for interaction with 6-mercaptopurine and azathioprine. Br J Clin Pharmacol 1995;39:456–9. 6. Lowry PW, Franklin CL, Weaver AL, Szumlanski CL, Mays DC, Lof...

HLA types, especially HLA-DR3, are associated with the development of toxic reactions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis after treatment with gold or D-penicillamine. In this study, after treatment with sulphasalazine, leucopenia was observed in three patients, who all had a history of leucopenia after previous gold treatment. The HLA types of these patients did not include HLA-DR3; the two ...

Azodisal sodium is a highly effective means of oral delivery of 5-amino-salicylic acid to the colonic mucosa. Administration of this drug to patients intolerant of sulphasalazine, however, occasionally results in liquid stools. In preliminary experiments, which comprised 10 healthy volunteers treated with colectomy for ulcerative colitis, ileostomy fluid output increased (p less than 0.001) dur...