Nimesulide (Nise) influence on blood serum prostaglandin E2 concentration and cardiovascular system function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Objective. The purpose of the current study was to investigate nimesulide effects on prostaglandin E 2 concentration in blood serum and some parameters of the cardiovascular system in pts with RA during a 6-month period. Materials and methods. 40 RA pts were studied, 20 of them took 200 mg of nimesulide per day (24 hours) in combination with low doses of metatrexate (7.5-10.0 mg per week). The pts were studied for 6 months. The content of E2 prostaglandin in blood serum was evaluated and estimated by means of the immuneenzymic method in 20 pts who took 200 mg of nimesulide per day (24 hours) in comparison with 20 pts who took 100 mg of sodium diclofenac per day. The cardiovascular system was evaluated and estimated by means of screening examinations and after the 6-month treatment period by means of 24-hour monitoring of arterial blood pressure, ECG-monitoring and echocardioscopy. Results. In case of the nimesulide treatment the above RA pts did not show reliable reduction of PGE- 2 in blood serum as compared with sodium dicofenac after a 5 day and the 6-month treatment. This showed the selective effect of nimesulide in relation to COX-2. As far as the parameters of the cardiovascular system are concerned, no negative dynamics were revealed at the background of nimesulide treatment. It was revealed that nimesulide is quite effective and has good tolerance.