[Prospects in the treatment of rheumatoid polyarthritis]

Searching for new long-term treatments of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is taking now different turns. It is a matter of trying molecules presenting a structural analogy with products considered as effective, either products with a more or less specific immuno-modulating ability, or natural substances involved in the immuno-pathological process of the RA. Among them, thymus hormone and interferon gamma have been the subject of controlled studies with results which are encouraging enough to pursue the investigations. Immunoglobulins of placental origin, the use of which has been justified by the frequent remissions of the disease during pregnancy, have given encouraging results. Finally, cyclosporin, in spite of its effectiveness, results in undesirable effects leading to a redefinition of its use. These studies require additional studies, especially long-term ones, in order to verify that these substances represent a definite improvement over the medications currently in use.