[Recent development of selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors]

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) are clinically effective against the inflammatory symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Recent attention has been focused on selective cyclooxygenase(COX)-2 inhibitors, a type of NSAID that inhibits a subtype of COX. Because of the different actions of COX-1 and COX-2, selective COX-2 inhibitors were expected to reduce adverse reactions such as gastrointestinal disorders. Various clinical studies have confirmed that the efficacy of COX-2 inhibitors for RA is similar to that of conventional NSAIDs, but they cause fewer severe gastrointestinal disorders. The incidence of complications related to renal dysfunction, such as edema and hypertension, is not different. Patients using selective COX-2 inhibitors have recently been reported to show an increase in thrombotic complications such as myocardial infarction. Therefore, more data on adverse events should be collected in the future from large-scale clinical studies to further clarify the actual value of selective COX-2 inhibitors.