To assess the safety and efficacy of cyclosporine (Neoral), its steroid sparing effect, and its usefulness in combination therapy with methotrexate (MTX) in the treatment of refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
All patients given cyclosporine for refractory RA over a 21 month period were included in an open, prospective study. Patients were reviewed initially fortnightly then monthly with clinical evaluation and serum creatinine. There were no restrictions on the use of other disease modifying agents, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, or corticosteroids.
Forty-six patients with severe RA were included in the study, 33 (72%) female and 13 (28%) male, with a mean age of 54.8 years (range 20-74). At the completion of the study 30 (65%) were still taking cyclosporine at a mean dose of 2.94 mg/kg/day for a mean duration of 10.5 months. Thirteen patients discontinued cyclosporine due to side effects, most commonly gastrointestinal, and 3 due to inefficacy. Thirty-seven of the 46 patients were taking prednisolone at the start of the study at a mean dose of 10.36 mg/day, which decreased to 7.068 mg/day at the end of the study (p < 0.001). Thirty patients used cyclosporine in combination with MTX. The mean dose of MTX decreased from 15.08 to 13.67 mg/wk (p = 0.02). The mean serum creatinine increased by 13% from 74 to 83.7 micromol/l. Patients who continued therapy had a shorter duration of disease, with a mean of 9.93 years compared to 15.73 years in those who stopped therapy (p = 0.004).
Cyclosporine (Neoral) was a safe and effective therapy in this population of patients with RA refractory to standard therapy. We observed a significant steroid sparing effect and have shown that combination therapy with MTX does not increase side effects and allows for a decrease in MTX dose. Renal function is not adversely affected if guidelines are followed.