Type I diabetes may be an autoimmune disorder, although the evidence is largely circumstantial. The natural history of the disease after diagnosis includes partial remission in most patients, but only about 3 percent achieve transient insulin independence. beta Cell function, as indicated by the plasma concentration of C-peptide, is lost over 6 to 30 months and islet cell antibodies disappeared over 1 to 2 years. This article describes a pilot study in which 41 patients were treated with the immunosuppressive agent cyclosporine for 2 to 12 months. Of 30 patients treated within 6 weeks of diagnosis, 16 became insulin independent with concentrations of plasma C-peptide in the normal range and decreasing titers of islet cell antibodies. Of 11 patients who entered the study 8 to 44 weeks after diagnosis, two achieved this state. These results indicate that a controlled trial of the effects of cyclosporine in type I diabetes should be conducted.

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The efficacy of cyclosporin A (CyA) in severe psoriasis was analysed in 457 adult patients included in five European multicentre dose-finding studies. Initial CyA doses were 1.25 mg/kg/day in 33 patients, 2.5-3 mg/kg/day in 285 and 5 mg/kg/day in 139. After 3 months of treatment, the reduction of the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score was 35 +/- 6% with 1.25 mg/kg/day of CyA, 57 +/- 2% with 2.5 mg or 3 mg/kg/day and 86 +/- 2% with 5 mg/kg/day (P less than 0.001). The rates of success, defined by a PASI score reduction greater than or equal to 75% or a score less than or equal to 8, were 24%, 52% and 88%, respectively. There were no differences in age, initial severity or duration of psoriasis. The improvement was maintained for 9 months or more in the majority of patients receiving continuous CyA therapy.

1 Eight double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, single-dose, cross-over studies were carried out to evaluate the usefulness of testing the acute analgesic effect of drugs in out-patients with non-migrainous headache. 2 The reference compounds were either (1) aspirin, (2) a combination of aminopyrine, caffeine and butalbarbital (Optalidon®), and (3) a combination of (2) with dihydroergotamine (Tonopane).3 The test compounds were (1) proquazone, (2) fluproquazone and (3) and (4), new formulations of Optalidon® and Tonopan® in which the aminopyrine was replaced by propyphenazone. They were all found to be active. 4 A significant, dose-response relationship was established for aspirin (250, 500 and 1000 mg). 5 It is concluded that the non-migrainous headache model is a practical, reproducible and sensitive method for the investigation of the acute efficacy of analgesics.

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