Protein-bound homocyst(e)ine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis undergoing D-penicillamine treatment

Protein-bound homocyst(e)ine was measured in the plasma of 38 nonhomocystinuric patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Nineteen of them were treated orally with D-penicillamine 100-1,500 mg/d for a period of one month to 15 years. For these patients, the mean +/- standard deviation level of plasma protein-bound homocyst(e)ine was 1.95 +/- 1.07 nmol/mL. In contrast, the mean plasma level of protein-bound homocyst(e)ine was 4.72 +/- 1.11 nmol/mL in the 19 patients who had not been treated with oral D-penicillamine. There was a statistically significant difference (P less than .0001) in the plasma protein-bound homocyst(e)ine concentrations between patients with and without oral D-penicillamine therapy. Thus, it may be speculated that oral D-penicillamine may be beneficial in protecting patients from the development of thromboembolism and arteriosclerosis.