Treatment of psoriatic arthritis with azaribine

Thirty-two patients with psoriatic arthritis unresponsive to conventional therapy were treated wtih the antipyrimidine azaribine. For the group, improvement was highly significant (P less than 0.01) when average painful joint count, ring size, grip strength, pain, and morning gel were compared with baseline measurements. The spectrum of response of individual patients varied from total remission or arthritis in 5 patients to no improvement in 7. Dermatitis improved more than 50% in 26 patients. Reduction in hematocrit, gastrointestinal irritation, and occasional central nervous system toxicity were readily reversed by decreasing or discontinuing dosage. Azaribine appears to be a useful agent for trial in the treatment of refractory psoriatic arthritis.