[Autoimmune phenomena in D-penicillamine therapy]

In two patients with rheumatoid arthritis, immunoglobuline deposits in the skin were detected during D-penicillamine treatment. One patient presented with drug induced exanthema, the other with pemphigus erythematosus which was confirmed by clinical, histological, and immunofluorescent findings. During the development of the specific side-effect in one patient, an increase of ANA-titre and antibody-binding-capacity versus denaturated DNA was observed. Therefore in a prospective study of another ten patients during four months after onset of treatment with D-penicillamine, antinuclear antibodies and antibody-binding-capacity versus native and denaturated DNA were examined. The latter group of patients - without skin lesions - did not show any changes in the above mentioned parameters.