Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Verhoeven, A. C.
Right arrow Articles by Tugwell, P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Verhoeven, A. C.
Right arrow Articles by Tugwell, P.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

The British Journal of Rheumatology, Vol 37, 612-619, Copyright © 1998 by British Society for Rheumatology

REVIEWS

Combination therapy in rheumatoid arthritis: updated systematic review

AC Verhoeven, M Boers and P Tugwell
Department of Internal Medicine/Rheumatology, University Hospital, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

In a second update of a systematic review, many new developments in the combined drug treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are highlighted. In early RA patients, step-down bridge therapy that includes corticosteroids leads to much enhanced efficacy at acceptable or low toxicity. The effects on joint damage may be persistent, but the symptomatic effects are probably dependent on continued corticosteroid dosing. In late patients, cyclosporin improves a suboptimal clinical response to methotrexate, and the triple combination of methotrexate, sulphasalazine and hydroxychloroquine appears to be clinically better than the components. Other combinations are either untested, tested at low sample size, or show negative interaction. In view of the low volume of evidence, most studies need confirmation by replication.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther.Home page
Y. Nakai, K. Inoue, N. Abe, M. Hatakeyama, K.-y. Ohta, M. Otagiri, Y. Hayashi, and H. Yuasa
Functional Characterization of Human Proton-Coupled Folate Transporter/Heme Carrier Protein 1 Heterologously Expressed in Mammalian Cells as a Folate Transporter
J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., August 1, 2007; 322(2): 469 - 476.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann Rheum DisHome page
M Schoels, T Kapral, T Stamm, J S Smolen, and D Aletaha
Step-up combination versus switching of non-biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in rheumatoid arthritis: results from a retrospective observational study
Ann Rheum Dis, August 1, 2007; 66(8): 1059 - 1065.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 BMJHome page
P. Emery and T. K Kvien
Treating rheumatoid arthritis
BMJ, July 14, 2007; 335(7610): 56 - 57.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann Rheum DisHome page
H. A Capell, R. Madhok, D. R Porter, R. A L Munro, I. B McInnes, J. A Hunter, M. Steven, A. Zoma, E. Morrison, M. Sambrook, et al.
Combination therapy with sulfasalazine and methotrexate is more effective than either drug alone in patients with rheumatoid arthritis with a suboptimal response to sulfasalazine: results from the double-blind placebo-controlled MASCOT study
Ann Rheum Dis, February 1, 2007; 66(2): 235 - 241.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Rheumatology (Oxford)Home page
E. H. S. Choy, C. Smith, C. J. Dore, and D. L. Scott
A meta-analysis of the efficacy and toxicity of combining disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in rheumatoid arthritis based on patient withdrawal
Rheumatology, November 1, 2005; 44(11): 1414 - 1421.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann Rheum DisHome page
M C Hochberg, J K Tracy, M Hawkins-Holt, and R H Flores
Comparison of the efficacy of the tumour necrosis factor {alpha} blocking agents adalimumab, etanercept, and infliximab when added to methotrexate in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis
Ann Rheum Dis, November 1, 2003; 62(90002): ii13 - 16.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann Rheum DisHome page
A A Deodhar, J Brabyn, I Pande, D L Scott, and A D Woolf
Hand bone densitometry in rheumatoid arthritis, a five year longitudinal study: an outcome measure and a prognostic marker
Ann Rheum Dis, August 1, 2003; 62(8): 767 - 770.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Rheumatology (Oxford)Home page
C.-S. Yee, A. Filer, A. Pace, K. Douglas, D. Situnayake, and I. F. Rowe
The prevalence of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the West Midlands fulfilling the BSR criteria for anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy: an out-patient study
Rheumatology, July 1, 2003; 42(7): 856 - 859.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann Rheum DisHome page
A H Gerards, R B M Landewe, A P A Prins, G A W Bruijn, H S Goei The, R F J M Laan, and B A C Dijkmans
Cyclosporin A monotherapy versus cyclosporin A and methotrexate combination therapy in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis: a double blind randomised placebo controlled trial
Ann Rheum Dis, April 1, 2003; 62(4): 291 - 296.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Rheumatology (Oxford)Home page
P. Barrera, A. van der Maas, A. E. van Ede, B. A. L. M. Kiemeney, R. F. J. M. Laan, L. B. A. van de Putte, and P. L. C. M. van Riel
Drug survival, efficacy and toxicity of monotherapy with a fully human anti-tumour necrosis factor-{alpha} antibody compared with methotrexate in long-standing rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatology, April 1, 2002; 41(4): 430 - 439.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Rheumatology (Oxford)Home page
M. A. Quinn, P. G. Conaghan, and P. Emery
The therapeutic approach of early intervention for rheumatoid arthritis: what is the evidence?
Rheumatology, November 1, 2001; 40(11): 1211 - 1220.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann Rheum DisHome page
M C Hochberg, J K Tracy, and R H Flores
""Stepping-up"" from methotrexate: a systematic review of randomised placebo controlled trials in patients with rheumatoid arthritis with an incomplete response to methotrexate
Ann Rheum Dis, November 1, 2001; 60(90003): iii51 - 54.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann Rheum DisHome page
P. Tugwell, V. Welch, M. Suarez-Almazor, B. Shea, and G. Wells
Efficacy and toxicity of old and new disease modifying antirheumatic drugs
Ann Rheum Dis, November 1, 2000; 59(90001): i32 - 35.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Rheumatology (Oxford)Home page
D. M. Squirrell, J. Winfield, and R. S. Amos
Peripheral ulcerative keratitis `corneal melt' and rheumatoid arthritis: a case series
Rheumatology, December 1, 1999; 38(12): 1245 - 1248.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ANN INTERN MEDHome page
T. Pincus, J. R. O'Dell, and J. M. Kremer
Combination Therapy with Multiple Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Preventive Strategy
Ann Intern Med, November 16, 1999; 131(10): 768 - 774.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Rheumatology (Oxford)Home page
N. J. Goulding
Future strategies for corticosteroid therapy
Rheumatology, September 1, 1999; 38(9): 907 - 908.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Rheumatology (Oxford)Home page
N. P. Hurst
Combination therapy in rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatology, August 1, 1999; 38(8): 789 - 789.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Rheumatology (Oxford)Home page
A. C. Verhoeven, M. Boers, and P. Tugwell
Combination therapy in rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatology, August 1, 1999; 38(8): 789a - 790a.
[Full Text]

Home page
 BMJHome page
B. Pal and H. Amlesh
Combination treatment is rare in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
BMJ, December 12, 1998; 317(7173): 1653a - 1653.
[Full Text]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.