OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy and safety of sulphasalazine in reactive arthritis. METHODS Double blind placebo controlled trial of six months duration comparing sulphasalazine 2-3 g per day (n = 37) with matching placebo (n = 42) in adults with active reactive arthritis (age 19-57 years, median 34). Treatment response was evaluated once a month by changes in erythrocyte sedimentation rate ...

The possibility that the mode of action of sulphasalazine and its active metabolite 5-amino-salicylic acid (5ASA) involves modification of toxic oxygen metabolite production by neutrophils has been investigated by measuring the effect of these drugs on luminol-dependent chemiluminescence, superoxide release and oxygen consumption by stimulated neutrophils in vitro. 5ASA, and to a lesser extent ...

The pharmacokinetics of sulphasalazine and its principal metabolites in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were compared. Patients with RA had a significantly greater concentration of plasma sulphapyridine than patients with IBD (medians 14.0 micrograms/ml and 7.4 micrograms/ml respectively). Patients with RA also tended to maintain a higher plasma sulphapyridine con...

In a double blind, single observer, 48 week study the effects of sulphasalazine (2 g daily) and hydroxychloroquine (400 mg daily months 0-6, thereafter 200 mg daily) were compared in 60 patients with definite or classical rheumatoid arthritis. They had not been treated previously with second line drugs. The onset of response with sulphasalazine was earlier than with hydroxychloroquine. After 48...

Two hundred patients with rheumatoid arthritis were studied in a prospective open trial comparing treatment with sulphasalazine and auranofin in patients with active disease over 12 months. The two drugs improved many parameters of disease activity at 12, 24, and 48 weeks. At 12 weeks, the group treated with sulphasalazine had a lower platelet count (Mann-Whitney U test), erythrocyte sedimentat...

Sulphasalazine was developed in the 1930s, initially for use in patients with rheumatic polyarthritis. However, its modest eVects in arthritis were soon overshadowed by the striking benefits seen when the drug was given to patients with active colitis. Controlled clinical trials confirmed the early favourable impressions and established a role for sulphasalazine in the treatment of active disea...

Sulphasalazine was developed in the 1930s, initially for use in patients with rheumatic polyarthritis. However, its modest eVects in arthritis were soon overshadowed by the striking benefits seen when the drug was given to patients with active colitis. Controlled clinical trials confirmed the early favourable impressions and established a role for sulphasalazine in the treatment of active disea...

One hundred and sixty four patients with ulcerative colitis in remission were entered into a double blind, double dummy trial comparing olsalazine 500 mg bd and sulphasalazine 1 g bd. Clinical examination, sigmoidoscopy and rectal biopsy were performed at 0, three, and six months. Sixteen of 82 (19.5%) patients relapsed on olsalazine and 10/82 (12.2%) relapsed on sulphasalazine. The difference ...

Miniaturised methods have been used to construct dose-response curves for the effects of inhibitory drugs on prostaglandin synthesis using individual rectal biopsies obtained from patients with ulcerative colitis. The potency of different drugs has been compared. Sulphasalazine, 5 amino salicylic acid (5-ASA) and N-acetyl 5-ASA inhibited prostaglandin synthesis at high concentration, but sulpha...