Treatment of psoriatic arthritis with azaribine

Abstract

Thirty-two patients with psoriatic arthritis unresponsive to conventional therapy were treated with the antipyrimidine azaribine. For the group, improvement was highly significant ( P < 0.01) when average painful joint count, ring size, grip strength, pain, and morning gel were compared with baseline measurements. The spectrum of response of individual patients varied from total remission of arthritis in 5 patients to no improvement in 7. Dermatitis improved more than 50% in 26 patients. Reduction in hematocrit, gastrointestinal irritation, and occasional central nervous system toxicity were readily reversed by decreasing or discontinuing dosage. Azaribine appears to be a useful agent for trial in the treatment of refractory psoriatic arthritis.Azaribine (6-azauridine triacetate) is an orally administered antipyrimidine that has been reported to be effective in the treatment of psoriasis (1-7). Hepatotoxicity, gastrointestinal ulceration, hair loss, and stom-

Randomized, Double‐Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial of Low‐Dose Pulse Methotrexate in Psoriatic Arthritis

“…Others have concluded that total cumulative dose may be important (9,lO). More extensive experience in the treatment of nonmalignant disorders using pulse regimens has lessened the fear of toxicity sufficiently to again raise the question of the role of MTX in the treatment of psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis (1 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13].…”