ANTIRHEUMATIC DRUGS, ESR, AND HYPOHISTIDINEMIA OF RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 4  (1) , 40-45
Abstract
The longterm administration of prednisone and Au to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), in doses that decreased the [erythrocyte] sedimentation rate (P < 0.05), did not alter the serum histidine concentration (P > 0.5). In patients with RA receiving various combinations of aspirin, prednisone and Au, the regression lines relating the serum histidine concentrations to the sedimentation rates had similar slopes but different elevations compared to patients receiving no anti-inflammatory drugs. In the patients receiving anti-inflammatory drugs, the regression lines were displaced so that in patients with similar serum histidine concentrations, the stronger the antirheumatic therapy, the less abnormal the sedimentation rate. The hypothesis is supported that hypohistidinemia contributes to the pathogenesis of RA.