[Sulfasalazine (Azulfidine RA) versus aurothioglucose in therapy of chronic polyarthritis--status report of an open, comparative, multicenter long-term study].

In a current German multicenter comparative study a minimum of 2 X 58 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) will be treated 36 weeks with sulfasalazine or aurothioglucose. The total time of observation will be 2 years. Up to September 1986 191 patients were recruited in the study, 81 patients divided into two treatment groups were treated for 36 weeks. A preliminary evaluation shows a significant reduction of the parameters of disease activity in both groups. In the sulfasalazine group favourable changes occur earlier than in the gold group. In comparison with gold sulfasalazine shows up to advantage concerning benefit/risk-ratio measured by the rate of side effects causing cessation of therapy and the rate of positive therapeutic response. On the basis of the preliminary data a comparison of grade and duration of ameliorations and of long-term tolerance of the two treatment regimens is not possible.