To assess prospectively the influence of intramuscular gold therapy on Helicobacter pylori serology in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Fifty patients with RA were started on intramuscular gold or chloroquine, as the control group and were followed serologically for H pylori infection for 12 months.
Twelve patients treated with gold and eight control patients treated with chloroquine, all with serological evidence for H pylori infection, showed no significant decline of IgA and IgG anti-H pylori antibody levels or serum pepsinogen A and C levels. Total serum IgA and IgG levels declined significantly during gold therapy, while they remained unchanged during chloroquine therapy.
Intramuscular gold therapy in patients with RA does not influence the serological parameters of H pylori infection.