[Use of cyclosporin A in patients with severe, active, treatment-resistant rheumatoid arthritis ]

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a multisystemic and chronic disease whose etiology still remains to know. RA and their complications implicate a huge cost, calculated in 1% of total national internal product in US.

To evaluate the use of cyclosporine A in RA patients refractory to conventional treatment.

Several improvement variables were used, such as Ritchie index, modified Sharp radiological scale, functional status, HAQ index, analog scale of pain, and PCR. 13 female were included with a mean age of 44 years (range 30-50), with a mean of RA evolution of 6 years (range 0.5-22); each patient received an initial dosage of 2.5 mg/day by oral microemulsion of cyclosporine A, with increasing dosage of 0.5 mg/kg/day, adjusting by seric values of creatinine.

RA patients were evaluated, initially and after three and six months. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests. In three months evaluation there was an improvement in functional status (p = 0.009). In six months evaluation there was an improvement in painful joints (p = 0.006), functional status (p = 0.007) and general comfort sensation (p = 0.014).

The cyclosporine use is considered an effective therapy, like disease modifier in RA refractory patients to conventional treatment in at least six months of the treatment.